Catch and Release: rare cell analysis from a functionalised medical wire.
Shukun Chen1, Amin El-Heliebi1, Gerlinde Tauber2
1Institute of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
Scientific Reports
|February 25, 2017
Summary
This study shows a refined in vivo device can capture and release circulating tumor cells (CTCs) for molecular analysis. This enables single-cell CTC characterization, advancing personalized cancer medicine.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are crucial biomarkers for cancer management.
- Molecular characterization of CTCs requires effective enrichment and downstream analysis techniques.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a modified in vivo enrichment device (Catch&Release) for CTC capture and release.
- To assess the feasibility of single-cell molecular analysis of enriched CTCs using array comparative genome hybridization (array-CGH) and next-generation sequencing (NGS).
Main Methods:
- Utilized a modified in vivo enrichment device (Catch&Release) for CTC isolation.
- Performed single-cell whole genome amplification (WGA) using Ampli1 and GenomePlex.
- Conducted array-CGH and NGS for molecular characterization of single CTCs.
Main Results:
- The Catch&Release device successfully bound and detached cancer cells for downstream analysis.
- Single-cell array-CGH showed reduced noise (DLRS 0.65 vs. 1.39) and detected smaller aberrations (median 14.0 vs. 49.9 Mb) with Ampli1 WGA.
- Single-cell NGS data from Ampli1-processed samples identified expected non-synonymous mutations consistent with bulk DNA.
Conclusions:
- The refined in vivo enrichment device enables reliable CTC enumeration and molecular characterization.
- This technology supports single-cell analysis, offering a promising tool for personalized cancer medicine.
