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Capture and Release of Viable Circulating Tumor Cells from Blood
Published on: October 28, 2016
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Tapered-slit membrane filters for high-throughput viable circulating tumor cell isolation
Yoon-Tae Kang1, Il Doh, Young-Ho Cho
1Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, South Korea.
Biomedical Microdevices
|March 21, 2015
Summary
This study introduces novel tapered-slit membrane filters for efficient isolation of viable circulating tumor cells (CTCs). These filters minimize cell stress and enable high-throughput capture for advanced cancer research.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are crucial biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis.
- Conventional filters often induce significant stress, impacting CTC viability and downstream analysis.
- There is a need for high-throughput, low-stress methods for viable CTC isolation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate novel tapered-slit membrane filters for high-throughput isolation of viable CTCs.
- To reduce cell stress during the filtration process compared to conventional filters.
- To assess the viability of captured CTCs for subsequent culture and analysis.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of SU8 membrane filters with vertical tapered slits (2° angle) using photolithography.
- Design of filters with varying outlet widths (6 μm and 8 μm) and high slit density (34,445/cm²).
- Experimental evaluation of filter performance using cancer cells spiked in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and diluted blood, assessing capture efficiency and cell viability post-culture.
Main Results:
- Tapered-slit filters significantly reduced cell stress by 82.14% compared to straight-hole filters.
- Achieved high capture efficiencies of 89.87% in PBS and 82.44% in diluted blood.
- Demonstrated high-throughput capability, operating 33.3 times faster than previous lateral tapered-slit filters.
- Maintained high cell viability, with 72.33% of captured cells remaining viable after a 5-day culture.
Conclusions:
- The proposed tapered-slit membrane filters offer a promising solution for high-throughput, low-stress, viable CTC isolation.
- This technology facilitates advanced CTC research for improved cancer diagnosis and prognosis.
- The filters enable on-chip cell culture, opening avenues for further functional studies of CTCs.
