Microfluidic chip for graduated magnetic separation of circulating tumor cells by their epithelial cell adhesion molecule expression and magnetic nanoparticle binding.

ABSTRACT: The enumeration of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the peripheral bloodstream of metastatic cancer patients has contributed to improvements in prognosis and therapeutics. There have been numerous approaches to capture and counting of CTCs. However, CTCs have potential information beyond simple enumeration and hold promise as a liquid biopsy for cancer and a pathway for personalized cancer therapy by detecting the subset of CTCs having the highest metastatic potential. There is evidence that epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) expression level distinguishes these highly metastatic CTCs. The few previous approaches to selective CTC capture according to EpCAM expression level are reviewed. A new two-stage microfluidic device for separation, enrichment and release of CTCs into subpopul

SUBMITTER: Williams PS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7827554 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature