Consecutive Sorting and Phenotypic Counting of CTCs by an Optofluidic Flow Cytometer

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cancer Research
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Circulating tumor cell (CTC) analysis is crucial for cancer diagnosis and monitoring.
• Current methods face challenges in efficient CTC sorting and high-throughput phenotypic counting.
• Liquid biopsy requires advanced tools for accurate tumor cell detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an optofluidic flow cytometer (OFCM) for efficient CTC analysis.
• To enable high-throughput phenotypic counting and characterization of CTCs.
• To assess the OFCM's adaptability for various cancer types and biomarkers.

Main Methods:

• Integration of a multistage microfluidic chip with a four-color fluorescence detection system.
• Automated CTC separation, 3D focusing, and single-cell phenotypic analysis.
• Processing of 1.2 mL of whole blood per hour with high recovery rates (>95%).

Main Results:

• The OFCM demonstrated automated CTC separation, focusing, and phenotypic analysis.
• Achieved a high recovery rate exceeding 95% for CTC detection.
• Successfully analyzed the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype in breast and lung cancer patients' CTCs.

Conclusions:

• The developed OFCM provides a convenient and efficient platform for clinical liquid biopsy.
• The system is adaptable for phenotypic counting of diverse CTCs using various biomarkers.
• This technology holds promise for improved cancer diagnosis and monitoring through advanced CTC analysis.