title: Polymer microfilters with nanostructured surfaces for the culture of circulating cancer cells.
abstract: There is a critical need to improve the accuracy of drug screening and testing through the development of in vitro culture systems that more effectively mimic the in vivo environment. Surface topographical features on the nanoscale level, in short nanotopography, effect the cell growth patterns, and hence affect cell function in culture. We report the preliminary results on the fabrication, and subsequent cellular growth, of nanoscale surface topography on polymer microfilters using cell lines as a precursor to circulating tumor cells (CTCs). To create various nanoscale features on the microfilter surface, we used reactive ion etching (RIE) with and without an etching mask. An anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane fabricated directly on the polymer surface served as an etching mask. Polymer filters with a variety of modified surfaces were used to compare the effects on the culture of cancer cell lines in blank culture wells, with untreated microfilters or with RIE-treated microfilters. We then report the differences of cell shape, phenotype and growth patterns of bladder and glioblastoma cancer cell lines after isolation on the various types of material modifications. Our data suggest that RIE modified polymer filters can isolate model cell lines while retaining ell viability, and that the RIE filter modification allows T24 monolayering cells to proliferate as a structured cluster.
authors.affiliation: Creatv MicroTech, Inc., 2242 West Harrison St., Chicago 60612, IL, United States.
authors.forename: Olga V
authors.initials: OV
authors.lastname: Makarova
authors.affiliation: Creatv MicroTech, Inc., 1 Deer Park Drive, Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852, United States. Electronic address: dan@creatvmicrotech.com.
authors.forename: Daniel L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.affiliation: Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Ave., Argonne 60439, IL, United States.
authors.forename: Ralu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Divan
authors.affiliation: Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Ave., Argonne 60439, IL, United States.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rosenmann
authors.affiliation: Creatv MicroTech, Inc., 11609 Lake Potomac Drive, Potomac 20854, MD, United States.
authors.forename: Peixuan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Creatv MicroTech, Inc., 11609 Lake Potomac Drive, Potomac 20854, MD, United States.
authors.forename: Shuhong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Creatv MicroTech, Inc., 11609 Lake Potomac Drive, Potomac 20854, MD, United States.
authors.forename: Platte
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Amstutz
authors.affiliation: Creatv MicroTech, Inc., 11609 Lake Potomac Drive, Potomac 20854, MD, United States.
authors.forename: Cha-Mei
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000537:Aluminum Oxide / Q000737:chemistry; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000378:metabolism*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; D000537:Aluminum Oxide
keywords: Nanostructure; RIE treated polymer; Structured culture; Surface topography; Tumor cell culture