Continuous labeling of circulating tumor cells with microbeads using a vortex micromixer for highly selective isolation.
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are identified in transit within the blood stream of cancer patients and have been proven to be a main cause of metastatic disease. Current approaches for the size-based isolation of CTCs have encountered technical challenges as some of the CTCs have a size similar to that of leukocytes and therefore CTCs are often lost in the process. Here, we propose a novel strategy where most of the CTCs are coated by a large number of microbeads to amplify their size to enable complete discrimination from leukocytes. In addition, all of the microbead labeling processes are carried out in a continuous manner to prevent any loss of CTCs during the isolation process. Thus, a microfluidic mixer was employed to facilitate the efficient and selective labeling of CTCs from peripheral blood samples. By generating secondary vortex flows called Taylor-Gortler vortices perpendicular to the main flow direction in our microfluidic device, CTCs were continuously and successfully coated with anti-epithelial cell adhesion molecule-conjugated beads. After the continuous labeling, the enlarged CTCs were perfectly trapped in a micro-filter whereas all of the leukocytes escaped.
Nanomedical National Core Research Center, Yonsei University, South Korea.
Ming Xian
MX
Lin
Kyung-A
KA
Hyun
Hui-Sung
HS
Moon
Tae Seok
TS
Sim
Jeong-Gun
JG
Lee
Jae Chan
JC
Park
Soo Suk
SS
Lee
Hyo-Il
HI
Jung
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D058948:Cell Tracking / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006801:Humans; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008863:Microspheres; D008904:Miniaturization; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000295:instrumentation