Precise and non-invasive circulating tumor cell isolation based on optical force using homologous erythrocyte binding

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Oncology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Precise isolation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is crucial for early cancer diagnosis and analysis.
• Existing methods often suffer from low purity or cell damage due to foreign material introduction.
• There is a need for efficient and non-damaging CTC isolation techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an innovative strategy for high-purity and high-recovery isolation of CTCs.
• To avoid cell damage associated with foreign material in CTC isolation.
• To enable precise separation of CTCs using optical properties.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing tumor cell-targeting molecules to bind homologous red blood cells (RBCs) to CTCs.
• Leveraging optical constant differences (size and refractive index) between RBC-conjugated CTCs (CC-RBCs) and other blood cells.
• Implementing an optofluidic system for laser-based separation of modified CTCs.

Main Results:

• CTCs were efficiently modified with erythrocytes.
• High purity (over 92%) and recovery rate (over 90%) of isolated CTCs were achieved.
• The integrity of CTC membranes and functions was maintained throughout the process.

Conclusions:

• The combination of homologous RBC binding and optofluidics offers a convenient tool for CTC isolation.
• This method provides non-invasive and precise isolation of CTCs, showing great potential for cancer early diagnosis and treatment monitoring.