Endonuclease-responsive aptamer-functionalized hydrogel coating for sequential catch and release of cancer cells.
Rare circulating tumor cells are a promising biomarker for the detection, diagnosis, and monitoring of cancer. However, it remains a challenge to develop biomedical devices for specific catch and nondestructive release of circulating tumor cells. The purpose of this study was to explore a unique system for cell catch and release by using aptamer-functionalized hydrogels and restriction endonucleases. The results show that the hydrogel coating was highly resistant to nonspecific cell binding with ~5-15 cells/mm(2) on the hydrogel surface. In contrast, under the same condition, the aptamer-functionalized hydrogel coating could catch target cancer cells with a density over 1000 cells/mm(2). When the hydrogel coating was further treated with the restriction endonucleases, the bound cells were released from the hydrogel coating because of the endonuclease-mediated sequence-specific hydrolysis of the aptamer sequences. The release efficiency reached ~99%. Importantly, ~98% of the released cells maintained viability. Taken together, this study demonstrates that it is promising to apply endonuclease-responsive aptamer-functionalized hydrogels as a coating material to develop medical devices for specific catch and nondestructive release of rare circulating tumor cells.
Program of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3222, USA.
Shihui
S
Li
Niancao
N
Chen
Zhaoyang
Z
Zhang
Yong
Y
Wang
D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods*; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes / Q000378:metabolism*; D015245:Deoxyribonuclease BamHI / Q000378:metabolism; D005898:Glass / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000473:pathology*; D014357:Trypsin / Q000378:metabolism
D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D015245:Deoxyribonuclease BamHI; D014357:Trypsin