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Updated: Mar 17, 2026
Adaptation of Semiautomated Circulating Tumor Cell CTC Assays for Clinical and Preclinical Research Applications
Published on: February 28, 2014
Improved SERS-Active Nanoparticles with Various Shapes for CTC Detection without Enrichment Process with
Xiaoxia Wu1,2, Yuanzhi Xia1,2, Youju Huang1
1Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Devices & Key Laboratory of Additive Manufacturing Materials of Zhejiang Province & Division of Functional Materials and Nanodevices, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Ningbo 315201, People's Republic of China.
We developed novel nanoparticles for detecting rare circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in blood without enrichment. Gold nanostars demonstrated superior sensitivity, achieving a detection limit of 1 cell/mL for improved cancer monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are crucial biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment monitoring.
- Detecting rare CTCs amidst abundant blood cells presents a significant challenge requiring highly sensitive and specific methods.
- Existing detection methods often necessitate complex enrichment steps, limiting their clinical applicability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop novel surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) nanoparticles for sensitive and specific CTC detection without prior blood enrichment.
- To evaluate the performance of three distinct nanoparticle shapes (spheres, rods, stars) for CTC detection.
- To identify the optimal nanoparticle design for achieving the lowest limit of detection for CTCs.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of spherical gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), gold nanorods (AuNRs), and gold nanostars (AuNSs) with similar sizes and modifications.
- Surface functionalization with 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA) for SERS signal, reductive bovine serum albumin (rBSA) for specificity, and folic acid (FA) for targeted CTC capture.
- Direct detection of CTCs in blood samples using the developed SERS nanoparticles without an enrichment process.
- Optimization of experimental conditions to maximize sensitivity and specificity.
Main Results:
- All three types of SERS nanoparticles demonstrated successful CTC detection without enrichment, exhibiting high specificity.
- Gold nanostars functionalized with 4-MBA, rBSA, and FA (AuNS-MBA-rBSA-FA) exhibited superior performance.
- The AuNS-MBA-rBSA-FA nanoparticles achieved an exceptionally low limit of detection of 1 cell/mL, significantly outperforming existing methods (5 cells/mL).
Conclusions:
- Novel SERS nanoparticles, particularly gold nanostars, offer a promising platform for direct, highly sensitive, and specific detection of circulating tumor cells in blood.
- The developed nanoparticle system eliminates the need for CTC enrichment, potentially simplifying and accelerating cancer diagnostics and monitoring.
- The enhanced sensitivity achieved by gold nanostars represents a significant advancement in CTC detection technology, paving the way for earlier and more accurate cancer management.
