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Capture and Release of Viable Circulating Tumor Cells from Blood
Published on: October 28, 2016
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Bioinspired Hierarchically Structured Surfaces for Efficient Capture and Release of Circulating Tumor Cells
Xiaoqiu Dou1, Ping Li1, Siyu Jiang1
1Physical Chemistry I and Research Center of Micro and Nanochemistry and Engineering (Cμ), Department of Chemistry and Biology, University of Siegen , Adolf-Reichwein-Strasse 2, 57076 Siegen, Germany.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|February 17, 2017
Summary
Bioinspired surfaces mimicking rose petals efficiently capture circulating tumor cells (CTCs) using anti-EpCAM antibodies. These novel structures enhance CTC capture and allow for their release with high viability for further analysis.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Engineering
- Cancer Cell Biology
- Surface Science
Background:
- Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are crucial biomarkers for cancer metastasis and patient prognosis.
- Efficient capture and release of CTCs are essential for accurate diagnostics and personalized treatment strategies.
- Current methods for CTC isolation face challenges in efficiency and cell viability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop novel bioinspired surfaces with hierarchical micro- and nanoscale topography for enhanced CTC capture.
- To investigate the mechanism underlying improved CTC capture efficiency on these surfaces.
- To demonstrate the successful release of captured CTCs with high viability for downstream analysis.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of bioinspired surfaces by replicating natural rose petal micro- and nanostructures.
- Functionalization of surfaces with epithelial cell adhesion molecule antibodies (anti-EpCAM) for CTC targeting.
- Evaluation of cell capture efficiency using static conditions and comparison with flat surfaces.
- Characterization of surface topography using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
- Assessment of cell viability and release using immunofluorescence and cell culture.
Main Results:
- Hierarchically structured surfaces exhibited up to 6 times higher CTC capture ability compared to flat surfaces.
- Enhanced capture is attributed to topographical interactions and increased anti-EpCAM binding site availability.
- Up to 85% of captured CTCs were successfully released using glutathione (GSH).
- Released CTCs maintained over 98% viability after 24-hour culture.
Conclusions:
- Bioinspired hierarchical surfaces offer a promising platform for efficient CTC capture and release.
- These surfaces enhance CTC isolation by leveraging topographical cues and increased antibody presentation.
- The developed method supports the potential application of these surfaces in advanced cell-based biomedical studies and diagnostics.

