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Updated: Apr 7, 2026
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Rapid Isolation of Viable Circulating Tumor Cells from Patient Blood Samples
Published on: June 15, 2012
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Chemically Modified Plastic Tube for High Volume Removal and Collection of Circulating Tumor Cells
Angelo Gaitas1, Gwangseong Kim1
1Kytaro, Inc., Miami, Florida, 33199, United States of America; Florida International University (FIU), Miami, Florida, 33199, United States of America.
Plos One
|July 16, 2015
Summary
This study developed a modified tube to capture circulating tumor cells (CTCs) using anti-EpCAM antibodies. The device successfully trapped cancer cells from blood, offering a promising method for CTC isolation and analysis.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Oncology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are crucial biomarkers for cancer detection, prognosis, and treatment monitoring.
- Effective isolation of CTCs from blood remains a significant challenge in clinical oncology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a novel tube-based device for the selective capture of circulating tumor cells (CTCs).
- To assess the efficiency of the device in capturing cancer cells from both cell suspensions and whole blood samples.
Main Methods:
- Chemically modifying a commercially available tube by immobilizing human anti-EpCAM antibodies on its inner surface.
- Testing the capture efficiency of the modified tube using cancer cells in suspension and spiked whole blood.
- Investigating the influence of tube length and cell concentration on capture rates.
Main Results:
- The modified tube demonstrated the ability to capture approximately 85% of cancer cells from suspension.
- The device captured about 44% of cancer cells from spiked whole blood samples.
- Capture efficiency was found to be dependent on tube length and the initial number of cancer cells.
Conclusions:
- The developed tube-based device shows significant potential for selectively capturing CTCs from whole blood.
- Further optimization of tube dimensions and procedures could lead to near-complete CTC population capture.
- Captured live CTCs can be subsequently released for further diagnostic and research applications.
