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Updated: Jan 31, 2026

Capture and Release of Viable Circulating Tumor Cells from Blood
Published on: October 28, 2016
Enumeration of Rare Cells in Whole Blood by Signal Ion Emission Reactive Release Amplification with Same-Sample RNA
Zane Baird1, Zehui Cao1, M Regina Barron1,2
1Single Cell Analytics Center , Indiana Biosciences Research Institute , Indianapolis , Indiana 46202 , United States.
Abstract:
Herein is presented a platform capable of detecting less than 30 cells from a whole blood sample by size-exclusion filtration, microfluidic sample handling, and mass spectrometric detection through signal ion emission reactive release amplification (SIERRA). This represents an approximate 10-fold improvement in detection limits from previous work. Detection by SIERRA is accomplished through the use of novel nanoparticle reagents coupled with custom fluidic fixtures for precise sample transfer. Sample processing is performed in standardized 96-well microtiter plates with commonly available laboratory instrumentation to facilitate assay automation. The detection system is easily amenable to multiplex detection, and compatibility with PCR-based gene assays is demonstrated.
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