Sensitive capture of circulating tumour cells by functionalized graphene oxide nanosheets.
The spread of cancer throughout the body is driven by circulating tumour cells (CTCs). These cells detach from the primary tumour and move from the bloodstream to a new site of subsequent tumour growth. They also carry information about the primary tumour and have the potential to be valuable biomarkers for disease diagnosis and progression, and for the molecular characterization of certain biological properties of the tumour. However, the limited sensitivity and specificity of current methods for measuring and studying these cells in patient blood samples prevents the realization of their full clinical potential. The use of microfluidic devices is a promising method for isolating CTCs. However, the devices are reliant on three-dimensional structures, which limits further characterization and expansion of cells on the chip. Here we demonstrate an effective approach to isolating CTCs from blood samples of pancreatic, breast and lung cancer patients, by using functionalized graphene oxide nanosheets on a patterned gold surface. CTCs were captured with high sensitivity at a low concentration of target cells (73 ± 32.4% at 3-5 cells per ml blood).
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.
Hyeun Joong
HJ
Yoon
Tae Hyun
TH
Kim
Zhuo
Z
Zhang
Ebrahim
E
Azizi
Trinh M
TM
Pham
Costanza
C
Paoletti
Jules
J
Lin
Nithya
N
Ramnath
Max S
MS
Wicha
Daniel F
DF
Hayes
Diane M
DM
Simeone
Sunitha
S
Nagrath
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D006108:Graphite