Functional, UV-curable coating for the capture of circulating tumor cells

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Cancer Diagnostics
• Medical Devices

Background:

• Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are vital biomarkers for cancer management.
• Current CTC capture methods face challenges in efficiency and specificity.
• Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is a versatile substrate for biomedical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an efficient method for capturing circulating tumor cells (CTCs).
• To functionalize PMMA substrates for enhanced antibody immobilization and reduced non-specific binding.
• To create a basis for novel CTC-enrichment devices.

Main Methods:

• UV-curable coating technology combined with antibody immobilization on PMMA.
• Introduction of carboxyl groups and polyethylene glycol (PEG) segments for functionalization.
• Immobilization of anti-EpCAM antibodies using EDC/NHS chemistry.
• Evaluation of coating properties including hydrophilicity and protein adsorption.
• Testing of functionalized PMMA tubes with whole blood spiked with gastric cancer cells.

Main Results:

• Optimized coatings demonstrated controlled hydrophilicity and reduced non-specific protein adsorption.
• Anti-EpCAM antibodies were successfully immobilized on the functionalized PMMA surface.
• Rapid and efficient capture of EpCAM-overexpressing gastric cancer cells from whole blood was achieved.
• The developed method shows potential for selective CTC enrichment.

Conclusions:

• UV-curable coating technology offers a promising approach for CTC capture.
• Functionalized PMMA substrates facilitate specific and efficient tumor cell isolation.
• This technology can advance the development of devices for early cancer diagnosis and monitoring.