A microfluidic device for label-free, physical capture of circulating tumor cell-clusters

ABSTRACT: Cancer cells metastasize through the bloodstream either as single migratory circulating tumor cells (CTCs) or as multicellular groupings (CTC-clusters). Existing technologies for CTC enrichment are designed primarily to isolate single CTCs, and while CTC-clusters are detectable in some cases, their true prevalence and significance remain to be determined. Here, we developed a microchip technology (Cluster-Chip) specifically designed to capture CTC-clusters independent of tumor-specific markers from unprocessed blood. CTC-clusters are isolated through specialized bifurcating traps under low shear-stress conditions that preserve their integrity and even two-cell clusters are captured efficiently. Highly parallel architecture of the chip allows deterministic screening of clinically relevant v

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

SUBMITTER: Ben Wittner 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-67939 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress