Capture and Selective Release of Viable Circulating Tumor Cells

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Oncology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are crucial biomarkers for cancer metastasis and treatment monitoring.
• Current methods for CTC isolation face challenges in efficiency, cell viability, and purity.
• Advanced microfluidic devices are needed to overcome these limitations in liquid biopsies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a microfluidic device for efficient and selective isolation of viable CTCs.
• To enable real-time monitoring of cancer progression and therapeutic response through improved liquid biopsy techniques.
• To facilitate personalized medicine by providing high-quality CTC samples for molecular analysis.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a microvortex-inducing microfluidic device.
• Functionalization of the device with nanointerfaces for cancer-specific immunoaffinity capture.
• Utilizing a thermally responsive surface chemistry for controlled cell release at 37°C.

Main Results:

• The microfluidic device achieves high efficiency in capturing CTCs from peripheral blood.
• The captured CTCs maintain high viability after the isolation process.
• The device enables selective enrichment of CTCs using cancer-specific immunoaffinity and controlled release.

Conclusions:

• The developed microfluidic device offers a promising solution for overcoming current limitations in CTC isolation.
• This technology enhances the potential of CTC-based liquid biopsies for cancer diagnostics and personalized therapeutics.
• High-efficiency, high-viability CTC capture and release pave the way for improved cancer patient management.