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Updated: Jan 31, 2026

Capture and Release of Viable Circulating Tumor Cells from Blood
Published on: October 28, 2016
Specific capture and release of circulating tumor cells using a multifunctional nanofiber-integrated microfluidic
Yunchao Xiao1, Mengyuan Wang1, Lizhou Lin2
1State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers & Polymer Materials, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.
Aim:
To develop a multifunctional nanofibrous mat-embedded microfluidic chip system for specific capture and intact release of circulating tumor cells.
Materials & Methods:
Electrospun polyethylenimine/polyvinyl alcohol nanofibers were functionalized with zwitterions to reduce the nonspecific adhesion of blood cells, followed by modification with arginine-glycine-aspartic acid peptide via an acid-sensitive benzoic imine bond.
Results:
The nanofiber-embedded microchip can be applied for capturing various types of cancer cells and circulating tumor cells with high efficiency and considerable purity. The captured cancer cells can be released from the nanofibrous substrates within 30 min.
Conclusion:
The developed multifunctional nanofiber-embedded microfluidic chip may have a great potential for clinical applications.
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