A Label-Free Approach for Cell-Level Drug Dosage Response Tests With an Optimized Flow Cytometry Device

Cancer is among the most significant health threats to humanity. As a critical front-line treatment in the early stages of the disease, chemotherapy drugs provide positive effects on more than one disease. Traditional analytical methods for screening these drugs are often marred by the need for intricate sample preparation and reliance on costly equipment or reagents. In this study, we profiled the biophysical properties of cancer cells (MCF-7) as they traversed a detection region using a high-throughput seven-electrode double-differential biochip. To ensure precise and reliable cell status assessment, we optimized both the electrode dimensions within the assay system and the buffer's conductivities. Our findings indicated that an electrode configuration of E:F:G = 2:5:1 (E, F, and G stand for exciting/floating/gap, respectively), coupled with a conductivity setting of 1.6 S/m, was optimal for probing the electrical properties of breast cancer cells (MCF-7). Utilizing this refined system, we achieved a live-dead cell differentiation accuracy of approximately 94.25%. Moreover, MCF-7 cells displayed distinct impedance signatures in response to varying drug concentrations. Changes in impedance signal characteristics, such as opacity and phase, stand for the physiological shifts within the cells under drug exposure. This research is of considerable importance, offering a novel and efficient methodology for drug dosage response testing. It paves the way for more precise and personalized cancer treatment strategies, potentially enhancing patient outcomes and quality of life.