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Updated: Sep 28, 2025
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Clinical Microfluidic Chip Platform for the Isolation of Versatile Circulating Tumor Cells
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PillarX: A Microfluidic Device to Profile Circulating Tumor Cell Clusters Based on Geometry, Deformability, and
Brenda J Green1, Margherita Marazzini1, Ben Hershey1
1IFOM-FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Via Adamello, 16, Milan, 20139, Italy.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|March 28, 2022
Summary
Circulating tumor cell (CTC) clusters, rare and hard to analyze, can now be profiled by the PillarX device. This innovation aids in understanding cancer metastasis and improving patient prognosis.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Cancer Research
- Microfluidics
Background:
- Circulating tumor cell (CTC) clusters are linked to increased metastasis and poorer patient outcomes.
- Current methods struggle with the rarity, enumeration, and biophysical characterization of CTC clusters.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate the PillarX device for profiling single CTCs and clusters.
- To characterize CTC clusters based on size, deformability, and epithelial marker expression.
Main Methods:
- A bimodular microfluidic device (PillarX) was designed, integrating a Pillar-device and an X-magnetic device.
- Cells were captured and sorted based on size and deformability (Pillar-device) and epithelial marker expression (X-device).
- Breast cancer cell clusters with varying cohesion were analyzed for deformability and invasive behavior.
Main Results:
- The PillarX device effectively captured and profiled CTC clusters from whole blood.
- Less deformable, cohesive clusters showed greater invasive behavior.
- Device performance was validated in mouse models and patients with metastatic breast cancer.
Conclusions:
- The PillarX device enables enumeration and profiling of CTC clusters by their physical and biochemical properties.
- This technology has the potential to become a novel prognostic clinical tool for cancer patients.
