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Chen K, Wang Z. A Micropillar Array Based Microfluidic Device for Rare Cell Detection and Single-Cell Proteomics. Methods Protoc 2023; 6:80. [PMID: 37736963 PMCID: PMC10514859 DOI: 10.3390/mps6050080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Advancements in single-cell-related technologies have opened new possibilities for analyzing rare cells, such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and rare immune cells. Among these techniques, single-cell proteomics, particularly single-cell mass spectrometric analysis (scMS), has gained significant attention due to its ability to directly measure transcripts without the need for specific reagents. However, the success of single-cell proteomics relies heavily on efficient sample preparation, as protein loss in low-concentration samples can profoundly impact the analysis. To address this challenge, an effective handling system for rare cells is essential for single-cell proteomic analysis. Herein, we propose a microfluidics-based method that offers highly efficient isolation, detection, and collection of rare cells (e.g., CTCs). The detailed fabrication process of the micropillar array-based microfluidic device is presented, along with its application for CTC isolation, identification, and collection for subsequent proteomic analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangfu Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, McCormick School of Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA;
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Zongjie Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, McCormick School of Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA;
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
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2
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Chen Y, Yang Y, Feng J, Carrier AJ, Tyagi D, Yu X, Wang C, Oakes KD, Zhang X. A universal monoclonal antibody-aptamer conjugation strategy for selective non-invasive bioparticle isolation from blood on a regenerative microfluidic platform. Acta Biomater 2022; 152:210-220. [PMID: 36087870 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Simultaneous isolation of various circulating tumor cell (CTC) subtypes from whole blood is useful in cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Microfluidic affinity separation devices are promising for CTC separation because of their high throughput capacity and automatability. However, current affinity agents, such as antibodies (mAbs) and aptamers (Apts) alone, are still suboptimal for efficient, consistent, and versatile cell analysis. By introducing a hybrid affinity agent, i.e., an aptamer-antibody (Apt-mAb) conjugate, we developed a universal and regenerative microchip with high efficiency and non-invasiveness in the separation and profiling of various CTCs from blood. The Apt-mAb conjugate consists of a monoclonal antibody that specifically binds the target cell receptor and a surface-bound aptamer that recognizes the conserved Fc region of the mAb. The aptamer then indirectly links the surface functionalization of the microfluidic channels to the mAbs. This hybrid affinity agent and the microchip platform may be widely useful for various bio-particle separations in different biological matrices. Further, the regeneration capability of the microchip improves data consistency between multiple uses and minimizes plastic waste while promoting environmental sustainability. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: A hybrid affinity agent, Apt-mAb, consisting of a universal aptamer (Apt) that binds the conserved Fc region of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) was developed. The invented nano-biomaterial combines the strengths and overcomes the weakness of both Apts and mAbs, thus changing the paradigm of affinity separation of cell subtypes. When Apt-mAb was used to fabricate microfluidic chips using a "universal screwdriver" approach, the microchip could be easily tuned to bind any cell type, exhibiting great universality. Besides high sensitivity and selectivity, the superior regenerative capacity of the microchips makes them reusable, which provides improved consistency and repeatability in cell profiling and opens a new approach towards in vitro diagnostic point-of-care testing devices with environmental sustainability and cost-effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongli Chen
- Department of Biological Applied Engineering, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Fermentation Purification and Analysis, Shenzhen Polytechnic, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Yikun Yang
- National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518116, China.
| | - Jinglong Feng
- Department of Biological Applied Engineering, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Fermentation Purification and Analysis, Shenzhen Polytechnic, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Andrew J Carrier
- Department of Chemistry, Cape Breton University, 1250 Grand Lake Road, Sydney, Nova Scotia, B1P 6L2, Canada
| | - Deependra Tyagi
- Department of Chemistry, Cape Breton University, 1250 Grand Lake Road, Sydney, Nova Scotia, B1P 6L2, Canada
| | - Xin Yu
- National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518116, China
| | - Chunguang Wang
- National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518116, China
| | - Ken D Oakes
- Department of Biology, Cape Breton University, 1250 Grand Lake Road, Sydney, Nova Scotia, B1P 6L2, Canada
| | - Xu Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Cape Breton University, 1250 Grand Lake Road, Sydney, Nova Scotia, B1P 6L2, Canada.
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Xiong LL, Xue LL, Du RL, Niu RZ, Chen L, Chen J, Hu Q, Tan YX, Shang HF, Liu J, Yu CY, Wang TH. Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals B cell-related molecular biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease. Exp Mol Med 2021; 53:1888-1901. [PMID: 34880454 PMCID: PMC8741783 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-021-00714-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, biomarkers have been integrated into the diagnostic process and have become increasingly indispensable for obtaining knowledge of the neurodegenerative processes in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in human blood have been reported to participate in a variety of neurodegenerative activities. Here, a single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of PBMCs from 4 AD patients (2 in the early stage, 2 in the late stage) and 2 normal controls was performed to explore the differential cell subpopulations in PBMCs of AD patients. A significant decrease in B cells was detected in the blood of AD patients. Furthermore, we further examined PBMCs from 43 AD patients and 41 normal subjects by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS), and combined with correlation analysis, we found that the reduction in B cells was closely correlated with the patients' Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scores. To confirm the role of B cells in AD progression, functional experiments were performed in early-stage AD mice in which fibrous plaques were beginning to appear; the results demonstrated that B cell depletion in the early stage of AD markedly accelerated and aggravated cognitive dysfunction and augmented the Aβ burden in AD mice. Importantly, the experiments revealed 18 genes that were specifically upregulated and 7 genes that were specifically downregulated in B cells as the disease progressed, and several of these genes exhibited close correlation with AD. These findings identified possible B cell-based AD severity, which are anticipated to be conducive to the clinical identification of AD progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu-Lin Xiong
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, Guizhou, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650504, Yunnan, China
| | - Lu-Lu Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Ruo-Lan Du
- Laboratory Animal Department, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650031, Yunnan, China
| | - Rui-Ze Niu
- Laboratory Animal Department, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650031, Yunnan, China
| | - Li Chen
- Institute of Neurological Disease, Translational Neuroscience Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Jie Chen
- School of Anesthesiology , Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
| | - Qiao Hu
- Institute of Neurological Disease, Translational Neuroscience Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Ya-Xin Tan
- Laboratory Animal Department, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650031, Yunnan, China
| | - Hui-Fang Shang
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Jia Liu
- Laboratory Animal Department, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650031, Yunnan, China.
| | - Chang-Yin Yu
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, Guizhou, China.
| | - Ting-Hua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
- Laboratory Animal Department, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650031, Yunnan, China.
- Institute of Neurological Disease, Translational Neuroscience Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
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Chen K, Amontree J, Varillas J, Zhang J, George TJ, Fan ZH. Incorporation of lateral microfiltration with immunoaffinity for enhancing the capture efficiency of rare cells. Sci Rep 2020; 10:14210. [PMID: 32848184 PMCID: PMC7450051 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71041-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The methods for isolating rare cells such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can be generally classified into two categories: those based on physical properties (e.g., size) and methods based on biological properties (e.g., immunoaffinity). CellSearch, the only FDA-approved method for the CTC-based cancer prognosis, relies on immunoaffinity interactions between CTCs and antibodies immobilized on magnetic particles. Immunoaffinity-based CTC isolation has also been employed in microfluidic devices, which show higher capture efficiency than CellSearch. We report here our investigation of combining size-based microfiltration into a microfluidic device with immunoaffinity for enhanced capture efficiency of CTCs. The device consists of four serpentine main channels, and each channel contains an array of lateral filters that create a two-dimensional flow. The main flow is through the serpentine channel, allowing the majority of the sample to pass by while the secondary flow goes through the lateral filters. The device design is optimized to make all fluid particles interact with filters. The filter sizes range from 24 to 12 µm, being slightly larger than or having similar dimension of CTCs. These filters are immobilized with antibodies specific to CTCs and thus they function as gates, allowing normal blood cells to pass by while forcing the interactions between CTCs and antibodies on the filter surfaces. The hydrodynamic force experienced by a CTC was also studied for optimal experimental conditions to ensure immunoaffinity-enabled cell capture. The device was evaluated by capturing two types of tumor cells spiked in healthy blood or a buffer, and we found that their capture efficiency was between 87.2 and 93.5%. The platform was further validated by isolating CTCs from blood samples of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangfu Chen
- Interdisciplinary Microsystems Group (IMG), Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, P.O. BOX 116250, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Jacob Amontree
- Interdisciplinary Microsystems Group (IMG), Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, P.O. BOX 116250, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Jose Varillas
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, P.O. Box 116131, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Jinling Zhang
- Interdisciplinary Microsystems Group (IMG), Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, P.O. BOX 116250, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Thomas J George
- Department of Medicine, University of Florida, P.O. Box 100278, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Z Hugh Fan
- Interdisciplinary Microsystems Group (IMG), Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, P.O. BOX 116250, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, P.O. Box 116131, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, P.O. Box 117200, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
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Chen K, Dopico P, Varillas J, Zhang J, George TJ, Fan ZH. Integration of Lateral Filter Arrays with Immunoaffinity for Circulating-Tumor-Cell Isolation. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019; 58:7606-7610. [PMID: 30958635 PMCID: PMC6534423 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201901412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are an important biomarker for cancer prognosis and treatment monitoring. However, the heterogeneity of the physical and biological properties of CTCs limits the efficiency of various approaches used to isolate small numbers of CTCs from billions of normal blood cells. To address this challenge, we developed a lateral filter array microfluidic (LFAM) device to integrate size-based separation with immunoaffinity-based CTC isolation. The LFAM device consists of a serpentine main channel, through which most of a sample passes, and an array of lateral filters for CTC isolation. The unique device design produces a two-dimensional flow, which reduces nonspecific, geometric capture of normal cells as typically observed in vertical filters. The LFAM device was further functionalized by immobilizing antibodies that are specific to the target cells. The resulting devices captured pancreatic cancer cells spiked in blood samples with (98.7±1.2) % efficiency and were used to isolate CTCs from patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangfu Chen
- Interdisciplinary Microsystems Group (IMG), Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, P.O. BOX 116250, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Pablo Dopico
- Interdisciplinary Microsystems Group (IMG), Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, P.O. BOX 116250, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Jose Varillas
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Jinling Zhang
- Interdisciplinary Microsystems Group (IMG), Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, P.O. BOX 116250, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Thomas J George
- Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Z Hugh Fan
- Interdisciplinary Microsystems Group (IMG), Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, P.O. BOX 116250, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
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6
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Chen K, Dopico P, Varillas J, Zhang J, George TJ, Fan ZH. Integration of Lateral Filter Arrays with Immunoaffinity for Circulating‐Tumor‐Cell Isolation. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201901412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kangfu Chen
- Interdisciplinary Microsystems Group (IMG)Department of Mechanical and Aerospace EngineeringUniversity of Florida P.O. BOX 116250 Gainesville FL 32611 USA
| | - Pablo Dopico
- Interdisciplinary Microsystems Group (IMG)Department of Mechanical and Aerospace EngineeringUniversity of Florida P.O. BOX 116250 Gainesville FL 32611 USA
| | - Jose Varillas
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of Florida Gainesville FL 32611 USA
| | - Jinling Zhang
- Interdisciplinary Microsystems Group (IMG)Department of Mechanical and Aerospace EngineeringUniversity of Florida P.O. BOX 116250 Gainesville FL 32611 USA
| | - Thomas J. George
- Department of MedicineUniversity of Florida Gainesville FL 32610 USA
| | - Z. Hugh Fan
- Interdisciplinary Microsystems Group (IMG)Department of Mechanical and Aerospace EngineeringUniversity of Florida P.O. BOX 116250 Gainesville FL 32611 USA
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of Florida Gainesville FL 32611 USA
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Scherag FD, Brandstetter T, Rühe J. Geometrically enhanced sensor surfaces for the selective capture of cell-like particles in a laminar flow field. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2018; 12:014116. [PMID: 30867852 PMCID: PMC6404926 DOI: 10.1063/1.5017714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Medical wires inserted into the blood stream of patients offer an attractive perspective to capture rare cells such as circulating tumor cells in vivo. A major challenge in such systems is to achieve an efficient interaction of the desired cells with the sensing surface and avoid those cells that simply flow by the wire without any contact while floating in a laminar flow field at some small distance to the sensor surface. We describe a new strategy to increase the interaction of cells or cell-like particles to such wire-shaped sensor surfaces both from an experimental and a theoretical point of view. For model experiments, we use cell-like particles that are flowing past the profile wire in a blood-like liquid stream. In the fluid dynamics simulations, this sensor is inserted into small capillaries. The influence of geometry and orientation of the wire with respect to the surrounding capillary onto the capture behavior is studied. Parameters, such as wire diameter, profile shape, wire torsion, and orientation of it with respect to the liquid stream, induce in some cases quite strong crossflows. These crossflows enhance the contact probability compared to a straight line wire of the same length by factors of up to about 80. A general model connecting the wire geometry with the crossflow intensity and the particle capture behavior is developed. Particle capture experiments demonstrate that the identified geometric factors can improve the capture of cell-like particles in laminar fluid flows and enhance the performance of such cell sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank D Scherag
- Department of Microsystems Engineering, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg 79110, Germany
| | - Thomas Brandstetter
- Department of Microsystems Engineering, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg 79110, Germany
| | - Jürgen Rühe
- Department of Microsystems Engineering, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg 79110, Germany
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Chen K, Georgiev TZ, Sheng W, Zheng X, Varillas JI, Zhang J, Hugh Fan Z. Tumor cell capture patterns around aptamer-immobilized microposts in microfluidic devices. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2017; 11:054110. [PMID: 29034054 PMCID: PMC5624804 DOI: 10.1063/1.5000707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 09/15/2017] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have shown potential for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Affinity-based CTC isolation methods have been proved to be efficient for CTC detection in clinical blood samples. One of the popular choices for affinity-based CTC isolation is to immobilize capture agents onto an array of microposts in microchannels, providing high CTC capture efficiency due to enhanced interactions between tumor cells and capture agents on the microposts. However, how the cells interact with microposts under different flow conditions and what kind of capture pattern results from the interactions have not been fully investigated; a full understanding of these interactions will help to design devices and choose experimental conditions for higher CTC capture effeciency. We report our study on their interaction and cell distribution patterns around microposts under different flow conditions. Human acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells (CCRF-CEM) were used as target cancer cells in this study, while the Sgc8 aptamer that has specific binding with CCRF-CEM cells was employed as a capture agent. We investigated the effects of flow rates and micropost shapes on the cell capture efficiency and capture patterns on microposts. While a higher flow rate decreased cell capture efficiency, we found that the capture pattern around microposts also changed, with much more cells captured in the front half of a micropost than at the back half. We also found the ratio of cells captured on microposts to the cells captured by both microposts and channel walls increased as a function of the flow rate. We compared circular microposts with an elliptical shape and found that the geometry affected the capture distribution around microposts. In addition, we have developed a theoretical model to simulate the interactions between tumor cells and micropost surfaces, and the simulation results are in agreement with our experimental observation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangfu Chen
- Interdisciplinary Microsystems Group (IMG), Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, P.O. Box 116250, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA
| | - Teodor Z Georgiev
- Interdisciplinary Microsystems Group (IMG), Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, P.O. Box 116250, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA
| | - Weian Sheng
- Interdisciplinary Microsystems Group (IMG), Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, P.O. Box 116250, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA
| | - Xiangjun Zheng
- Interdisciplinary Microsystems Group (IMG), Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, P.O. Box 116250, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA
| | - Jose I Varillas
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, P.O. Box 116131, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA
| | - Jinling Zhang
- Interdisciplinary Microsystems Group (IMG), Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, P.O. Box 116250, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA
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Járvás G, Varga T, Szigeti M, Hajba L, Fürjes P, Rajta I, Guttman A. Tilted pillar array fabrication by the combination of proton beam writing and soft lithography for microfluidic cell capture Part 2: Image sequence analysis based evaluation and biological application. Electrophoresis 2017; 39:534-539. [PMID: 28714133 DOI: 10.1002/elps.201700268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2017] [Revised: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
As a continuation of our previously published work, this paper presents a detailed evaluation of a microfabricated cell capture device utilizing a doubly tilted micropillar array. The device was fabricated using a novel hybrid technology based on the combination of proton beam writing and conventional lithography techniques. Tilted pillars offer unique flow characteristics and support enhanced fluidic interaction for improved immunoaffinity based cell capture. The performance of the microdevice was evaluated by an image sequence analysis based in-house developed single-cell tracking system. Individual cell tracking allowed in-depth analysis of the cell-chip surface interaction mechanism from hydrodynamic point of view. Simulation results were validated by using the hybrid device and the optimized surface functionalization procedure. Finally, the cell capture capability of this new generation microdevice was demonstrated by efficiently arresting cells from a HT29 cell-line suspension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gábor Járvás
- MTA-PE Translational Glycomics Group, MUKKI, University of Pannonia, Veszprém, Hungary.,Horváth Csaba Memorial Institute of Bioanalytical Research, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Tamás Varga
- Institute of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Pannonia, Veszprém, Hungary
| | - Márton Szigeti
- MTA-PE Translational Glycomics Group, MUKKI, University of Pannonia, Veszprém, Hungary.,Horváth Csaba Memorial Institute of Bioanalytical Research, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - László Hajba
- MTA-PE Translational Glycomics Group, MUKKI, University of Pannonia, Veszprém, Hungary
| | - Péter Fürjes
- Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Centre for Energy Research, Institute of Technical Physics and Materials Science, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - András Guttman
- MTA-PE Translational Glycomics Group, MUKKI, University of Pannonia, Veszprém, Hungary.,Horváth Csaba Memorial Institute of Bioanalytical Research, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
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10
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Warning AD, Datta AK. Mechanistic understanding of non-spherical bacterial attachment and deposition on plant surface structures. Chem Eng Sci 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2016.11.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Abstract
Microfluidics has been undergoing fast development in the past two decades due to its promising applications in biotechnology, medicine, and chemistry. Towards these applications, enhancing concentration sensitivity and detection resolution are indispensable to meet the detection limits because of the dilute sample concentrations, ultra-small sample volumes and short detection lengths in microfluidic devices. A variety of microfluidic techniques for concentrating analytes have been developed. This article presents an overview of analyte concentration techniques in microfluidics. We focus on discussing the physical mechanism of each concentration technique with its representative advancements and applications. Finally, the article is concluded by highlighting and discussing advantages and disadvantages of the reviewed techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cunlu Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Thermo-Fluid Science and Engineering of MOE, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
- Correspondence: (C.Z.); (C.Y.); Tel.: +86-29-8266-3222 (C.Z.); +65-6790-4883 (C.Y.)
| | - Zhengwei Ge
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore;
| | - Chun Yang
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore;
- Correspondence: (C.Z.); (C.Y.); Tel.: +86-29-8266-3222 (C.Z.); +65-6790-4883 (C.Y.)
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12
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Scherag FD, Niestroj-Pahl R, Krusekopf S, Lücke K, Brandstetter T, Rühe J. Highly Selective Capture Surfaces on Medical Wires for Fishing Tumor Cells in Whole Blood. Anal Chem 2017; 89:1846-1854. [PMID: 28208267 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.6b04219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the blood of cancer patients is a challenging task. CTCs are, especially at the early stages of cancer development, extremely rare cells hidden in a vast background of regular blood cells. We describe a new strategy for the isolation of CTCs from whole blood. The key component is a medical wire coated with a multilayer assembly that allows highly specific capture of EpCAM (epithelial cell adhesion molecule) positive CTCs from blood. The assembly is generated in a layer-by-layer fashion through photochemically induced C,H insertion reactions and consists of a protective layer, which shields the contacting solution from the metal, a protein resistant layer, which prevents nonspecific interactions with proteins and a layer containing the EpCAM antibodies. In vitro experiments show that these surfaces can capture tumor cells from whole blood with enrichment factors (specifically vs nonspecifically bound cells) of up to about 3000 compared to the number of leucocytes in the blood. The purity of the isolated cells is greater than 90%. After "fishing" them from the blood, the cells, still bound to the wire, can be genetically analyzed. This demonstrates that this strategy might prove useful for next generation sequencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank D Scherag
- Department of Microsystems Engineering, University of Freiburg , Georges-Köhler-Allee 103, D-79110 Freiburg, Germany
| | | | | | - Klaus Lücke
- GILUPI GmbH , Hermannswerder 20a, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Thomas Brandstetter
- Department of Microsystems Engineering, University of Freiburg , Georges-Köhler-Allee 103, D-79110 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jürgen Rühe
- Department of Microsystems Engineering, University of Freiburg , Georges-Köhler-Allee 103, D-79110 Freiburg, Germany
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Abstract
Isolation and analysis of cancer cells from body fluids have significant implications in diagnosis and therapeutic treatment of cancers. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are cancer cells circulating in the peripheral blood or spreading iatrogenically into blood vessels, which is an early step in the cascade of events leading to cancer metastasis. Therefore, CTCs can be used for diagnosing for therapeutic treatment, prognosing a given anticancer intervention, and estimating the risk of metastatic relapse. However, isolation of CTCs is a significant technological challenge due to their rarity and low recovery rate using traditional purification techniques. Recently microfluidic devices represent a promising platform for isolating cancer cells with high efficiency in processing complex cellular fluids, with simplicity, sensitivity, and throughput. This review summarizes recent methods of CTC isolation and analysis, as well as their applications in clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Zhang
- University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - K Chen
- University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Z H Fan
- University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.
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14
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Liu Z, Han X, Qin L. Recent Progress of Microfluidics in Translational Applications. Adv Healthc Mater 2016; 5:871-88. [PMID: 27091777 PMCID: PMC4922259 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201600009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2016] [Revised: 02/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Microfluidics, featuring microfabricated structures, is a technology for manipulating fluids at the micrometer scale. The small dimension and flexibility of microfluidic systems are ideal for mimicking molecular and cellular microenvironment, and show great potential in translational research and development. Here, the recent progress of microfluidics in biological and biomedical applications, including molecular analysis, cellular analysis, and chip-based material delivery and biomimetic design is presented. The potential future developments in the translational microfluidics field are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongbin Liu
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Xin Han
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Lidong Qin
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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15
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Cimrák I. Collision rates for rare cell capture in periodic obstacle arrays strongly depend on density of cell suspension. Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin 2016; 19:1525-30. [PMID: 27023645 DOI: 10.1080/10255842.2016.1165806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Recently, computational modelling has been successfully used for determination of collision rates for rare cell capture in periodic obstacle arrays. The models were based on particle advection simulations where the cells were advected according to velocity field computed from two dimensional Navier-Stokes equations. This approach may be used under the assumption of very dilute cell suspensions where no mutual cell collisions occur. We use the object-in-fluid framework to demonstrate that even with low cell-to-fluid ratio, the optimal geometry of the obstacle array significantly changes. We show computational simulations for ratios of 3.5, 6.9 and 10.4% determining the optimal geometry of the periodic obstacle arrays. It was already previously demonstrated that cells in periodic obstacle arrays follow trajectories in two modes: the colliding mode and the zig-zag mode. The colliding mode maximizes the cell-obstacle collision frequency. Our simulations reveal that for dilute suspensions and for suspensions with cell-to-fluid ratio 3.5%, there is a range of column shifts for which the cells follow colliding trajectories. However we showed, that for 6.9 and 10.4%, the cells never follow colliding trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Cimrák
- a Cell-in-fluid Research Group, Faculty of Management Science and Informatics , University of Žilina , Žilina , Slovakia
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16
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Smith JP, Kirby BJ. A transfer function approach for predicting rare cell capture microdevice performance. Biomed Microdevices 2015; 17:9956. [PMID: 25971361 DOI: 10.1007/s10544-015-9956-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Rare cells have the potential to improve our understanding of biological systems and the treatment of a variety of diseases; each of those applications requires a different balance of throughput, capture efficiency, and sample purity. Those challenges, coupled with the limited availability of patient samples and the costs of repeated design iterations, motivate the need for a robust set of engineering tools to optimize application-specific geometries. Here, we present a transfer function approach for predicting rare cell capture in microfluidic obstacle arrays. Existing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools are limited to simulating a subset of these arrays, owing to computational costs; a transfer function leverages the deterministic nature of cell transport in these arrays, extending limited CFD simulations into larger, more complicated geometries. We show that the transfer function approximation matches a full CFD simulation within 1.34 %, at a 74-fold reduction in computational cost. Taking advantage of these computational savings, we apply the transfer function simulations to simulate reversing array geometries that generate a "notch filter" effect, reducing the collision frequency of cells outside of a specified diameter range. We adapt the transfer function to study the effect of off-design boundary conditions (such as a clogged inlet in a microdevice) on overall performance. Finally, we have validated the transfer function's predictions for lateral displacement within the array using particle tracking and polystyrene beads in a microdevice.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P Smith
- Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
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17
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Smith JP, Huang C, Kirby BJ. Enhancing sensitivity and specificity in rare cell capture microdevices with dielectrophoresis. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2015; 9:014116. [PMID: 25759749 PMCID: PMC4327920 DOI: 10.1063/1.4908049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2014] [Accepted: 02/02/2015] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The capture and subsequent analysis of rare cells, such as circulating tumor cells from a peripheral blood sample, has the potential to advance our understanding and treatment of a wide range of diseases. There is a particular need for high purity (i.e., high specificity) techniques to isolate these cells, reducing the time and cost required for single-cell genetic analyses by decreasing the number of contaminating cells analyzed. Previous work has shown that antibody-based immunocapture can be combined with dielectrophoresis (DEP) to differentially isolate cancer cells from leukocytes in a characterization device. Here, we build on that work by developing numerical simulations that identify microfluidic obstacle array geometries where DEP-immunocapture can be used to maximize the capture of target rare cells, while minimizing the capture of contaminating cells. We consider geometries with electrodes offset from the array and parallel to the fluid flow, maximizing the magnitude of the resulting electric field at the obstacles' leading and trailing edges, and minimizing it at the obstacles' shoulders. This configuration attracts cells with a positive DEP (pDEP) response to the leading edge, where the shear stress is low and residence time is long, resulting in a high capture probability; although these cells are also repelled from the shoulder region, the high local fluid velocity at the shoulder minimizes the impact on the overall transport and capture. Likewise, cells undergoing negative DEP (nDEP) are repelled from regions of high capture probability and attracted to regions where capture is unlikely. These simulations predict that DEP can be used to reduce the probability of capturing contaminating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (using nDEP) from 0.16 to 0.01 while simultaneously increasing the capture of several pancreatic cancer cell lines from 0.03-0.10 to 0.14-0.55, laying the groundwork for the experimental study of hybrid DEP-immunocapture obstacle array microdevices.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P Smith
- Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University , Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Chao Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University , Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
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18
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Huang C, Smith JP, Saha TN, Rhim AD, Kirby BJ. Characterization of microfluidic shear-dependent epithelial cell adhesion molecule immunocapture and enrichment of pancreatic cancer cells from blood cells with dielectrophoresis. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2014; 8:044107. [PMID: 25379092 PMCID: PMC4189216 DOI: 10.1063/1.4890466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2014] [Accepted: 07/07/2014] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Current microfluidic techniques for isolating circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from cancer patient blood are limited by low capture purity, and dielectrophoresis (DEP) has the potential to complement existing immunocapture techniques to improve capture performance. We present a hybrid DEP and immunocapture Hele-Shaw flow cell to characterize DEP's effects on immunocapture of pancreatic cancer cells (Capan-1, PANC-1, and BxPC-3) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with an anti-EpCAM (epithelial cell adhesion molecule) antibody. By carefully specifying the applied electric field frequency, we demonstrate that pancreatic cancer cells are attracted to immunocapture surfaces by positive DEP whereas PBMCs are repelled by negative DEP. Using an exponential capture model to interpret our capture data, we show that immunocapture performance is dependent on the applied DEP force sign and magnitude, cell surface EpCAM expression level, and shear stress experienced by cells flowing in the capture device. Our work suggests that DEP can not only repel contaminating blood cells but also enhance capture of cancer cell populations that are less likely to be captured by traditional immunocapture methods. This combination of DEP and immunocapture techniques to potentially increase CTC capture purity can facilitate subsequent biological analyses of captured CTCs and research on cancer metastasis and drug therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University , Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - James P Smith
- Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University , Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Trisha N Saha
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - Andrew D Rhim
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
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19
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Thege FI, Lannin TB, Saha TN, Tsai S, Kochman ML, Hollingsworth MA, Rhim AD, Kirby BJ. Microfluidic immunocapture of circulating pancreatic cells using parallel EpCAM and MUC1 capture: characterization, optimization and downstream analysis. LAB ON A CHIP 2014; 14:1775-84. [PMID: 24681997 DOI: 10.1039/c4lc00041b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
We have developed and optimized a microfluidic device platform for the capture and analysis of circulating pancreatic cells (CPCs) and pancreatic circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Our platform uses parallel anti-EpCAM and cancer-specific mucin 1 (MUC1) immunocapture in a silicon microdevice. Using a combination of anti-EpCAM and anti-MUC1 capture in a single device, we are able to achieve efficient capture while extending immunocapture beyond single marker recognition. We also have detected a known oncogenic KRAS mutation in cells spiked in whole blood using immunocapture, RNA extraction, RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing. To allow for downstream single-cell genetic analysis, intact nuclei were released from captured cells by using targeted membrane lysis. We have developed a staining protocol for clinical samples, including standard CTC markers; DAPI, cytokeratin (CK) and CD45, and a novel marker of carcinogenesis in CPCs, mucin 4 (MUC4). We have also demonstrated a semi-automated approach to image analysis and CPC identification, suitable for clinical hypothesis generation. Initial results from immunocapture of a clinical pancreatic cancer patient sample show that parallel capture may capture more of the heterogeneity of the CPC population. With this platform, we aim to develop a diagnostic biomarker for early pancreatic carcinogenesis and patient risk stratification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrik I Thege
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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