LiquidCell Dx said it is developing LiquidTME, a cfDNA-based methylation profiling liquid biopsy assay designed to predict response to immune checkpoint inhibition by identifying tumor microenvironment “ecotypes.” The company said its approach is based on published work in Nature on Spatial EcoTyper, which segments spatially distinct communities from multi-cancer single-cell and spatial transcriptomic datasets. LiquidCell Dx described an evidence foundation using bulk and single-cell spatial transcriptomics from 132 primary tumors across 10 cancer types, plus single-cell atlases for 144 tumor samples. It reported the unsupervised analysis produced nine spatially distinct communities termed ecotypes. The startup said it is building clinical and regulatory evidence for commercialization and is in discussions with regulators about a path to market. Its framing centers on translating spatial biology into actionable methylation readouts from blood samples, aiming to reduce reliance on invasive tissue procurement. If successful, the platform could support treatment selection in immuno-oncology, where predicting benefit and avoiding ineffective therapy remains a core unmet need.