title: A label-free DC impedance-based microcytometer for circulating rare cancer cell counting.
abstract: Quantification of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in blood samples is believed to provide valuable evidence of cancer progression, cancer activity status, response to therapy in patients with metastatic cancer, and possible cancer diagnosis. Recently, a number of researchers reported that CTCs tend to lose their epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) by an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). As such, label-free CTC detection methods are attracting worldwide attention. Here, we describe a label-free DC impedance-based microcytometer for CTCs by exploiting the difference in size between CTCs and blood cells. This system detects changes in DC impedance between two polyelectrolytic gel electrodes (PGEs) under low DC voltages. Using spiked ovarian cancer cell lines (OVCAR-3) in blood as a model system, we were able to count the cells using a microcytometer with 88% efficiency with a flow rate of 13 μl min(-1) without a dilution process. Furthermore, we examined blood samples from breast cancer patients using the cytometer, and detected CTCs in 24 out of 24 patient samples. Thus, the proposed DC impedance-based microcytometer presents a facile and fast way of CTC evaluation regardless of their biomarkers.
authors: Interdisciplinary Program, Bioengineering Major, Seoul National University, 28 Yongon-dong, Chongno-gu, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Hyoungseon
authors: H
authors: Choi
authors: Kwang Bok
authors: KB
authors: Kim
authors: Chang Su
authors: CS
authors: Jeon
authors: Inseong
authors: I
authors: Hwang
authors: Saram
authors: S
authors: Lee
authors: Hark Kyun
authors: HK
authors: Kim
authors: Hee Chan
authors: HC
authors: Kim
authors: Taek Dong
authors: TD
authors: Chung
mesh_terms: D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D017097:Electric Impedance; D004566:Electrodes; D000071858:Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000166:cytology; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000378:metabolism*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D000071858:Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human