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Clinical Microfluidic Chip Platform for the Isolation of Versatile Circulating Tumor Cells
Published on: October 13, 2023
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Poly(ethylene oxide) Concentration Gradient-Based Microfluidic Isolation of Circulating Tumor Cells.
Yangchang Cheng1,2, Shaohua Zhang3, Lili Qin3
1Beijing Engineering Research Center for BioNanotechnology, CAS Key Laboratory of Standardization and Measurement for Nanotechnology, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China.
Analytical Chemistry
|February 1, 2023
Summary
This study introduces a microfluidic device using a poly(ethylene oxide) concentration gradient to isolate rare circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from blood. This label-free method rapidly enriches CTCs for improved cancer detection.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Oncology
- Microfluidics
Background:
- Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are vital biomarkers for non-invasive cancer diagnosis and management.
- The rarity and heterogeneity of CTCs pose significant challenges for their isolation and detection in clinical settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a rapid, label-free, and highly efficient microfluidic method for isolating CTCs directly from whole blood.
- To utilize a poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) concentration gradient for size-based CTC separation.
Main Methods:
- A microfluidic device was engineered to create stable PEO concentration gradients.
- Co-injection of blood sample and PEO solutions generated elastic and inertial lift forces for cell separation.
- Size-based separation of CTCs from blood cells was achieved by exploiting distinct migration patterns.
Main Results:
- The microfluidic device processed 1 mL of blood in 30 minutes with over 90% separation efficiency.
- An enrichment ratio exceeding 700 for tumor cells was achieved.
- Discrimination between breast cancer patients and healthy donors with 84.2% accuracy was demonstrated using isolated CTCs.
Conclusions:
- The PEO concentration gradient microfluidic method offers a powerful tool for label-free CTC isolation.
- This technique demonstrates significant potential for various clinical applications in cancer diagnostics and monitoring.
