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Shanmugam ST, Campos R, Trashin S, Daems E, Carneiro D, Fraga A, Ribeiro R, De Wael K. Singlet oxygen-based photoelectrochemical detection of miRNAs in prostate cancer patients' plasma: A novel diagnostic tool for liquid biopsy. Bioelectrochemistry 2024; 158:108698. [PMID: 38640856 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2024.108698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Dysregulation of miRNA expression occurs in many cancers, making miRNAs useful in cancer diagnosis and therapeutic guidance. In a clinical context using methods such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the limited amount of miRNAs in circulation often limits their quantification. Here, we present a PCR-free and sensitive singlet oxygen (1O2)-based strategy for the detection and quantification of miRNAs in untreated human plasma from patients diagnosed with prostate cancer. A target miRNA is specifically captured by functionalised magnetic beads and a detection oligonucleotide probe in a sandwich-like format. The formed complex is concentrated at the sensor surface via magnetic beads, providing an interface for the photoinduced redox signal amplification. The detection oligonucleotide probe bears a molecular photosensitiser, which produces 1O2 upon illumination, oxidising a redox reporter and creating a redox cycling loop, allowing quantification of pM level miRNA in diluted human plasma within minutes after hybridisation and without target amplification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saranya Thiruvottriyur Shanmugam
- A-Sense Lab, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium; NANOlab Center of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Rui Campos
- A-Sense Lab, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium; NANOlab Center of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Stanislav Trashin
- A-Sense Lab, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium; NANOlab Center of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Elise Daems
- A-Sense Lab, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium; NANOlab Center of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Diogo Carneiro
- i3S, Tumour & Microenvironment Interactions Group, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Department of Urology, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, Largo Prof. Abel Salazar, 4099-001 Porto, Portugal
| | - Avelino Fraga
- i3S, Tumour & Microenvironment Interactions Group, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Department of Urology, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, Largo Prof. Abel Salazar, 4099-001 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Ribeiro
- i3S, Tumour & Microenvironment Interactions Group, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Department of Pathology, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, Largo Prof. Abel Salazar, 4099-001 Porto, Portugal
| | - Karolien De Wael
- A-Sense Lab, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium; NANOlab Center of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium.
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Lyu N, Hassanzadeh-Barforoushi A, Rey Gomez LM, Zhang W, Wang Y. SERS biosensors for liquid biopsy towards cancer diagnosis by detection of various circulating biomarkers: current progress and perspectives. NANO CONVERGENCE 2024; 11:22. [PMID: 38811455 PMCID: PMC11136937 DOI: 10.1186/s40580-024-00428-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Liquid biopsy has emerged as a promising non-invasive strategy for cancer diagnosis, enabling the detection of various circulating biomarkers, including circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating tumor nucleic acids (ctNAs), circulating tumor-derived small extracellular vesicles (sEVs), and circulating proteins. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) biosensors have revolutionized liquid biopsy by offering sensitive and specific detection methodologies for these biomarkers. This review comprehensively examines the application of SERS-based biosensors for identification and analysis of various circulating biomarkers including CTCs, ctNAs, sEVs and proteins in liquid biopsy for cancer diagnosis. The discussion encompasses a diverse range of SERS biosensor platforms, including label-free SERS assay, magnetic bead-based SERS assay, microfluidic device-based SERS system, and paper-based SERS assay, each demonstrating unique capabilities in enhancing the sensitivity and specificity for detection of liquid biopsy cancer biomarkers. This review critically assesses the strengths, limitations, and future directions of SERS biosensors in liquid biopsy for cancer diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nana Lyu
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | | | - Laura M Rey Gomez
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Wei Zhang
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Yuling Wang
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia.
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3
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Díaz del Arco C, Fernández Aceñero MJ, Ortega Medina L. Liquid biopsy for gastric cancer: Techniques, applications, and future directions. World J Gastroenterol 2024; 30:1680-1705. [PMID: 38617733 PMCID: PMC11008373 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i12.1680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
After the study of circulating tumor cells in blood through liquid biopsy (LB), this technique has evolved to encompass the analysis of multiple materials originating from the tumor, such as nucleic acids, extracellular vesicles, tumor-educated platelets, and other metabolites. Additionally, research has extended to include the examination of samples other than blood or plasma, such as saliva, gastric juice, urine, or stool. LB techniques are diverse, intricate, and variable. They must be highly sensitive, and pre-analytical, patient, and tumor-related factors significantly influence the detection threshold, diagnostic method selection, and potential results. Consequently, the implementation of LB in clinical practice still faces several challenges. The potential applications of LB range from early cancer detection to guiding targeted therapy or immunotherapy in both early and advanced cancer cases, monitoring treatment response, early identification of relapses, or assessing patient risk. On the other hand, gastric cancer (GC) is a disease often diagnosed at advanced stages. Despite recent advances in molecular understanding, the currently available treatment options have not substantially improved the prognosis for many of these patients. The application of LB in GC could be highly valuable as a non-invasive method for early diagnosis and for enhancing the management and outcomes of these patients. In this comprehensive review, from a pathologist's perspective, we provide an overview of the main options available in LB, delve into the fundamental principles of the most studied techniques, explore the potential utility of LB application in the context of GC, and address the obstacles that need to be overcome in the future to make this innovative technique a game-changer in cancer diagnosis and treatment within clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Díaz del Arco
- Department of Surgical Pathology, Health Research Institute of the Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid 28040, Spain
- Department of Legal Medicine, Psychiatry and Pathology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - M Jesús Fernández Aceñero
- Department of Surgical Pathology, Health Research Institute of the Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid 28040, Spain
- Department of Legal Medicine, Psychiatry and Pathology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Luis Ortega Medina
- Department of Surgical Pathology, Health Research Institute of the Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid 28040, Spain
- Department of Legal Medicine, Psychiatry and Pathology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid 28040, Spain
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Jiang L, Guo K, Chen Y, Xiang N. Droplet Microfluidics for Current Cancer Research: From Single-Cell Analysis to 3D Cell Culture. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2024; 10:1335-1354. [PMID: 38420753 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.3c01866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Differences in drug resistance and treatment response caused by the heterogeneity of cancer cells are the primary reasons for poor cancer therapy outcomes in patients. In addition, current in vitro anticancer drug-screening methods rely on two-dimensional monolayer-cultured cancer cells, which cannot accurately predict drug behavior in vivo. Therefore, a powerful tool to study the heterogeneity of cancer cells and produce effective in vitro tumor models is warranted to leverage cancer research. Droplet microfluidics has become a powerful platform for the single-cell analysis of cancer cells and three-dimensional cell culture of in vitro tumor spheroids. In this review, we discuss the use of droplet microfluidics in cancer research. Droplet microfluidic technologies, including single- or double-emulsion droplet generation and passive- or active-droplet manipulation, are concisely discussed. Recent advances in droplet microfluidics for single-cell analysis of cancer cells, circulating tumor cells, and scaffold-free/based 3D cell culture of tumor spheroids have been systematically introduced. Finally, the challenges that must be overcome for the further application of droplet microfluidics in cancer research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Jiang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Kefan Guo
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Yao Chen
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Nan Xiang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
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Carneiro A, Piairo P, Matos B, Santos DAR, Palmeira C, Santos LL, Lima L, Diéguez L. Minimizing false positives for CTC identification. Anal Chim Acta 2024; 1288:342165. [PMID: 38220297 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2023.342165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, with metastasis playing a significant role. Circulating Tumour Cells (CTCs) can provide important real-time insights into tumour heterogeneity and clonal evolution, making them an important tool for early diagnosis and patient monitoring. Isolated CTCs are typically identified by immunocytochemistry using positive biomarkers (cytokeratin) and exclusion biomarkers (CD45). However, some white blood cell (WBC) populations can express low levels of CD45 and stain non-specifically for cytokeratin, increasing their risk of misclassification as CTCs. There is a clear need to improve CTC detection and enumeration criteria to unequivocally eliminate interfering WBC populations. RESULTS This study showed that, indeed, some granulocyte subpopulations expressed low levels of CD45 and stained non-specifically for cytokeratin, misidentifying them as CTCs. These same cells, however, strongly expressed CD15, allowing them to be identified as WBCs and excluded from CTC classification. Flow cytometry confirmed the specificity of the CD15 antibody for the granulocyte subpopulation. False positives were considerably reduced from 25 % to 0.2 % by double exclusion, combining a CD15 antibody with a highly specific CD45 antibody. Furthermore, complete elimination of potential false positives was achieved using double exclusion in combination with improved selection of cytokeratin antibody. The study emphasises the importance of a robust exclusion criteria and high antibody specificity in CTC immuno-assays for accurate identification of CTC candidates and thorough exclusion of interfering WBC subpopulations. SIGNIFICANCE This study demonstrated how misidentifying a granulocyte subpopulation can lead to inaccurate CTC evaluation. However, sensitivity and specificity of CTC identification may be improved by using high-performing antibodies and by including a second exclusion biomarker, in turn, allowing for a more comprehensive clinical application of CTCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Carneiro
- International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, Avenida Mestre José Veiga s/n, 4715-330, Braga, Portugal; Experimental Pathology and Therapeutics Group, Research Center of IPO Porto (CI IPOP) / RISE @ CI-IPOP (Health Research Network), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto), Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (Porto.CCC), 4200-072, Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS) da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Paulina Piairo
- International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, Avenida Mestre José Veiga s/n, 4715-330, Braga, Portugal; RUBYnanomed Lda, Praça Conde de Agrolongo 123, 4700-312, Braga, Portugal.
| | - Beatriz Matos
- International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, Avenida Mestre José Veiga s/n, 4715-330, Braga, Portugal; NOVA School of Science and Technology, Caparica, 2829-516, Portugal
| | - Daniela A R Santos
- Experimental Pathology and Therapeutics Group, Research Center of IPO Porto (CI IPOP) / RISE @ CI-IPOP (Health Research Network), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto), Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (Porto.CCC), 4200-072, Porto, Portugal; School of Health, Polytechnic Institute of Porto, Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 400, 4200-072, Porto, Portugal
| | - Carlos Palmeira
- Experimental Pathology and Therapeutics Group, Research Center of IPO Porto (CI IPOP) / RISE @ CI-IPOP (Health Research Network), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto), Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (Porto.CCC), 4200-072, Porto, Portugal; Department of Immunology, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO-Porto), Porto, 4200-072, Portugal; Biomedical Research Center (CEBIMED, Faculty of Health Sciences, Fernando Pessoa University (UFP), Porto, 4249-004, Portugal
| | - Lúcio Lara Santos
- Experimental Pathology and Therapeutics Group, Research Center of IPO Porto (CI IPOP) / RISE @ CI-IPOP (Health Research Network), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto), Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (Porto.CCC), 4200-072, Porto, Portugal; Department of Surgical Oncology, Portuguese Institute of Oncology (IPO-Porto), 4200-072, Porto, Portugal
| | - Luís Lima
- Experimental Pathology and Therapeutics Group, Research Center of IPO Porto (CI IPOP) / RISE @ CI-IPOP (Health Research Network), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto), Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (Porto.CCC), 4200-072, Porto, Portugal
| | - Lorena Diéguez
- International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, Avenida Mestre José Veiga s/n, 4715-330, Braga, Portugal; RUBYnanomed Lda, Praça Conde de Agrolongo 123, 4700-312, Braga, Portugal.
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Su TC, Vu-Dinh H, Lin SH, Do Quang L, Chu Duc T, Jen CP. The effect of magnetic bead size on the isolation efficiency of lung cancer cells in a serpentine microchannel with added cavities. Biomed Microdevices 2024; 26:7. [PMID: 38175269 DOI: 10.1007/s10544-023-00689-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
An investigation was conducted to examine the effect of magnetic bead (MB) size on the effectiveness of isolating lung cancer cells using the immunomagnetic separation (IMS) method in a serpentine microchannel with added cavities (SMAC) structure. Carboxylated magnetic beads were specifically conjugated to target cells through a modification procedure using aptamer materials. Cells immobilized with different sizes (in micrometers) of MBs were captured and isolated in the proposed device for comparison and analysis. The study yields significance regarding the clarification of device working principles by using a computational model. Furthermore, an accurate evaluation of the MB size impact on capture efficiency was achieved, including the issue of MB-cell accumulation at the inlet-channel interface, despite it being overlooked in many previous studies. As a result, our findings demonstrated an increasing trend in binding efficiency as the MB size decreased, evidenced by coverages of 50.5%, 60.1%, and 73.4% for sizes of 1.36 μm, 3.00 μm, and 4.50 μm, respectively. Additionally, the overall capture efficiency (without considering the inlet accumulation) was also higher for smaller MBs. However, when accounting for the actual number of cells entering the channel (i.e., the effective capture), larger MBs showed higher capture efficiency. The highest effective capture achieved was 88.4% for the size of 4.50 μm. This research provides an extensive insight into the impact of MB size on the performance of IMS-based devices and holds promise for the efficient separation of circulating cancer cells (CTCs) in practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzu-Cheng Su
- Department of Surgical Pathology, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, 500, Taiwan, R.O.C
- School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, 402, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Hien Vu-Dinh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Advanced Institute of Manufacturing for High-Tech Innovations, National Chung Cheng University, Chia-Yi, 62102, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Shu-Hui Lin
- Department of Surgical Pathology, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, 500, Taiwan, R.O.C
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung, 402, Taiwan, R.O.C
- Department of Post-Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, 402, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Loc Do Quang
- Faculty of Physics, University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, 100000, Vietnam
| | - Trinh Chu Duc
- Faculty of Electronics and Telecommunication, University of Engineering and Technology, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, 100000, Vietnam
| | - Chun-Ping Jen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Advanced Institute of Manufacturing for High-Tech Innovations, National Chung Cheng University, Chia-Yi, 62102, Taiwan, R.O.C..
- School of Dentistry, College of Dental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan, R.O.C..
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Robinson SD, de Boisanger J, Pearl FMG, Critchley G, Rosenfelder N, Giamas G. A brain metastasis liquid biopsy: Where are we now? Neurooncol Adv 2024; 6:vdae066. [PMID: 38770219 PMCID: PMC11102938 DOI: 10.1093/noajnl/vdae066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Brain metastases remain a challenging and feared complication for patients with cancer and research in this area has lagged behind research into metastases to other organs. Due to their location and the risks associated with neurosurgical biopsies, the biology underpinning brain metastases response to treatment and evolution over time remains poorly understood. Liquid biopsies are proposed to overcome many of the limitations present with tissue biopsies, providing a better representation of tumor heterogeneity, facilitating repeated sampling, and providing a noninvasive assessment of tumor biology. Several different liquid biopsy approaches have been investigated including circulating tumor cells, circulating tumor DNA, extracellular vesicles, and tumor-educated platelets; however, these have generally been less effective in assessing brain metastases compared to metastases to other organs requiring improved techniques to investigate these approaches, studies combining different liquid biopsy approaches and/or novel liquid biopsy approaches. Through this review, we highlight the current state of the art and define key unanswered questions related to brain metastases liquid biopsies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen David Robinson
- Sussex Cancer Centre, University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, Brighton, UK
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedicine, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, UK
| | - James de Boisanger
- Neuro-Oncology Unit, The Royal Marsden Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Frances M G Pearl
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedicine, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, UK
| | - Giles Critchley
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, Brighton, UK
- Section of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgical Sciences, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Nicola Rosenfelder
- Neuro-Oncology Unit, The Royal Marsden Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Georgios Giamas
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedicine, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, UK
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Wagner P, Bakhshi Sichani S, Khorshid M, Lieberzeit P, Losada-Pérez P, Yongabi D. Bioanalytical sensors using the heat-transfer method HTM and related techniques. TECHNISCHES MESSEN : TM 2023; 90:761-785. [PMID: 38046181 PMCID: PMC10690833 DOI: 10.1515/teme-2023-0101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
This review provides an overview on bio- and chemosensors based on a thermal transducer platform that monitors the thermal interface resistance R th between a solid chip and the supernatant liquid. The R th parameter responds in a surprisingly strong way to molecular-scale changes at the solid-liquid interface, which can be measured thermometrically, using for instance thermocouples in combination with a controllable heat source. In 2012, the effect was first observed during on-chip denaturation experiments on complementary and mismatched DNA duplexes that differ in their melting temperature. Since then, the concept is addressed as heat-transfer method, in short HTM, and numerous applications of the basic sensing principle were identified. Functionalizing the chip with bioreceptors such as molecularly imprinted polymers makes it possible to detect neurotransmitters, inflammation markers, viruses, and environmental pollutants. In combination with aptamer-type receptors, it is also possible to detect proteins at low concentrations. Changing the receptors to surface-imprinted polymers has opened up new possibilities for quantitative bacterial detection and identification in complex matrices. In receptor-free variants, HTM was successfully used to characterize lipid vesicles and eukaryotic cells (yeast strains, cancer cell lines), the latter showing spontaneous detachment under influence of the temperature gradient inherent to HTM. We will also address modifications to the original HTM technique such as M-HTM, inverted HTM, thermal wave transport analysis TWTA, and the hot-wire principle. The article concludes with an assessment of the possibilities and current limitations of the method, together with a technological forecast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Wagner
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Laboratory for Soft Matter and Biophysics ZMB, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200 D, B-3001Leuven, Belgium
| | - Soroush Bakhshi Sichani
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Laboratory for Soft Matter and Biophysics ZMB, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200 D, B-3001Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mehran Khorshid
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Laboratory for Soft Matter and Biophysics ZMB, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200 D, B-3001Leuven, Belgium
| | - Peter Lieberzeit
- Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währingerstrasse 42, A-1090Wien, Austria
| | - Patricia Losada-Pérez
- Physique Expérimentale Thermique et de la Matière Molle, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Campus de la Plaine – CP 223, Boulevard du Triomphe, ACC.2, B-1050Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Derick Yongabi
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Laboratory for Soft Matter and Biophysics ZMB, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200 D, B-3001Leuven, Belgium
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Cardona S, Mostafazadeh N, Luan Q, Zhou J, Peng Z, Papautsky I. Numerical Modeling of Physical Cell Trapping in Microfluidic Chips. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:1665. [PMID: 37763828 PMCID: PMC10538085 DOI: 10.3390/mi14091665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic methods have proven to be effective in separation and isolation of cells for a wide range of biomedical applications. Among these methods, physical trapping is a label-free isolation approach that relies on cell size as the selective phenotype to retain target cells on-chip for follow-up analysis and imaging. In silico models have been used to optimize the design of such hydrodynamic traps and to investigate cancer cell transmigration through narrow constrictions. While most studies focus on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of flow over cells and/or pillar traps, a quantitative analysis of mechanical interaction between cells and trapping units is missing. The existing literature centers on longitudinally extended geometries (e.g., micro-vessels) to understand the biological phenomenon rather than designing an effective cell trap. In this work, we aim to make an experimentally informed prediction of the critical pressure for a cell to pass through a trapping unit as a function of cell morphology and trapping unit geometry. Our findings show that a hyperelastic material model accurately captures the stress-related softening behavior observed in cancer cells passing through micro-constrictions. These findings are used to develop a model capable of predicting and extrapolating critical pressure values. The validity of the model is assessed with experimental data. Regression analysis is used to derive a mathematical framework for critical pressure. Coupled with CFD analysis, one can use this formulation to design efficient microfluidic devices for cell trapping and potentially perform downstream analysis of trapped cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Ian Papautsky
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
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Orrapin S, Thongkumkoon P, Udomruk S, Moonmuang S, Sutthitthasakul S, Yongpitakwattana P, Pruksakorn D, Chaiyawat P. Deciphering the Biology of Circulating Tumor Cells through Single-Cell RNA Sequencing: Implications for Precision Medicine in Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12337. [PMID: 37569711 PMCID: PMC10418766 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) hold unique biological characteristics that directly involve them in hematogenous dissemination. Studying CTCs systematically is technically challenging due to their extreme rarity and heterogeneity and the lack of specific markers to specify metastasis-initiating CTCs. With cutting-edge technology, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) provides insights into the biology of metastatic processes driven by CTCs. Transcriptomics analysis of single CTCs can decipher tumor heterogeneity and phenotypic plasticity for exploring promising novel therapeutic targets. The integrated approach provides a perspective on the mechanisms underlying tumor development and interrogates CTCs interactions with other blood cell types, particularly those of the immune system. This review aims to comprehensively describe the current study on CTC transcriptomic analysis through scRNA-seq technology. We emphasize the workflow for scRNA-seq analysis of CTCs, including enrichment, single cell isolation, and bioinformatic tools applied for this purpose. Furthermore, we elucidated the translational knowledge from the transcriptomic profile of individual CTCs and the biology of cancer metastasis for developing effective therapeutics through targeting key pathways in CTCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santhasiri Orrapin
- Center of Multidisciplinary Technology for Advanced Medicine (CMUTEAM), Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (S.O.); (P.T.); (S.U.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (P.Y.); (D.P.)
| | - Patcharawadee Thongkumkoon
- Center of Multidisciplinary Technology for Advanced Medicine (CMUTEAM), Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (S.O.); (P.T.); (S.U.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (P.Y.); (D.P.)
| | - Sasimol Udomruk
- Center of Multidisciplinary Technology for Advanced Medicine (CMUTEAM), Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (S.O.); (P.T.); (S.U.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (P.Y.); (D.P.)
- Musculoskeletal Science and Translational Research (MSTR) Center, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Sutpirat Moonmuang
- Center of Multidisciplinary Technology for Advanced Medicine (CMUTEAM), Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (S.O.); (P.T.); (S.U.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (P.Y.); (D.P.)
| | - Songphon Sutthitthasakul
- Center of Multidisciplinary Technology for Advanced Medicine (CMUTEAM), Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (S.O.); (P.T.); (S.U.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (P.Y.); (D.P.)
| | - Petlada Yongpitakwattana
- Center of Multidisciplinary Technology for Advanced Medicine (CMUTEAM), Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (S.O.); (P.T.); (S.U.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (P.Y.); (D.P.)
| | - Dumnoensun Pruksakorn
- Center of Multidisciplinary Technology for Advanced Medicine (CMUTEAM), Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (S.O.); (P.T.); (S.U.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (P.Y.); (D.P.)
- Musculoskeletal Science and Translational Research (MSTR) Center, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
- Department of Orthopedics, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Parunya Chaiyawat
- Center of Multidisciplinary Technology for Advanced Medicine (CMUTEAM), Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (S.O.); (P.T.); (S.U.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (P.Y.); (D.P.)
- Musculoskeletal Science and Translational Research (MSTR) Center, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
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11
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Campos R, Shanmugam ST, Daems E, Ribeiro R, De Wael K. Development of an electrochemiluminescent oligonucleotide-based assay for the quantification of prostate cancer associated miR-141-3p in human serum. Bioelectrochemistry 2023; 153:108495. [PMID: 37399650 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2023.108495] [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: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small oligonucleotides (18-25 bases), biologically relevant for epigenetic regulation of key processes, particularly in association with cancer. Research effort has therefore been directed towards the monitoring and detection of miRNAs to progress (early) cancer diagnoses. Traditional detection strategies for miRNAs are expensive, with a lengthy time-to-result. In this study we develop an oligonucleotide-based assay using electrochemistry for the specific, selective and sensitive detection of a circulating miRNA (miR-141) associated with prostate cancer. In the assay, the excitation and readout of the signal are independent: an electrochemical stimulation followed by an optical readout. A 'sandwich' approach is incorporated, consisting of a biotinylated capture probe immobilised on streptavidin-functionalised surfaces and a detection probe labelled with digoxigenin. We show that the assay allows the detection of miR-141 in human serum, even in the presence of other miRNAs, with a LOD of 0.25 pM. The developed electrochemiluminescent assay has, therefore, the potential for efficient universal oligonucleotide target detection via the redesign of capture and detection probes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Campos
- A-Sense Lab, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium; NANOlab Center of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Saranya Thiruvottriyur Shanmugam
- A-Sense Lab, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium; NANOlab Center of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Elise Daems
- A-Sense Lab, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium; NANOlab Center of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ricardo Ribeiro
- i3S, Tumour & Microenvironment Interactions Group, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Department of Pathology, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, Largo Prof. Abel Salazar, 4099-001 Porto, Portugal
| | - Karolien De Wael
- A-Sense Lab, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium; NANOlab Center of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
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12
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Zhan Y, Zhang R, Guo Y, Cao S, Chen G, Tian B. Recent advances in tumor biomarker detection by lanthanide upconversion nanoparticles. J Mater Chem B 2023; 11:755-771. [PMID: 36606393 DOI: 10.1039/d2tb02017c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Early tumor diagnosis could reliably predict the behavior of tumors and significantly reduce their mortality. Due to the response to early cancerous changes at the molecular or cellular level, tumor biomarkers, including small molecules, proteins, nucleic acids, exosomes, and circulating tumor cells, have been employed as powerful tools for early cancer diagnosis. Therefore, exploring new approaches to detect tumor biomarkers has attracted a great deal of research interest. Lanthanide upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) provide numerous opportunities for bioanalytical applications. When excited by low-energy near-infrared light, UCNPs exhibit several unique properties, such as large anti-Stoke shifts, sharp emission lines, long luminescence lifetimes, resistance to photobleaching, and the absence of autofluorescence. Based on these excellent properties, UCNPs have demonstrated great sensitivity and selectivity in detecting tumor biomarkers. In this review, an overview of recent advances in tumor biomarker detection using UCNPs has been presented. The key aspects of this review include detection mechanisms, applications in vitro and in vivo, challenges, and perspectives of UCNP-based tumor biomarker detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhan
- Center for Molecular Recognition and Biosensing, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.
| | - Runchi Zhang
- Center for Molecular Recognition and Biosensing, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.
| | - Yi Guo
- Center for Molecular Recognition and Biosensing, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.
| | - Siyu Cao
- Center for Molecular Recognition and Biosensing, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.
| | - Guifang Chen
- Center for Molecular Recognition and Biosensing, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.
| | - Bo Tian
- Center for Molecular Recognition and Biosensing, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.
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13
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Jiang L, Yang H, Cheng W, Ni Z, Xiang N. Droplet microfluidics for CTC-based liquid biopsy: a review. Analyst 2023; 148:203-221. [PMID: 36508171 DOI: 10.1039/d2an01747d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are important biomarkers of liquid biopsy. The number and heterogeneity of CTCs play an important role in cancer diagnosis and personalized medicine. However, owing to the low-abundance biomarkers of CTCs, conventional assays are only able to detect CTCs at the population level. Therefore, there is a pressing need for a highly sensitive method to analyze CTCs at the single-cell level. As an important branch of microfluidics, droplet microfluidics is a high-throughput and sensitive single-cell analysis platform for the quantitative detection and heterogeneity analysis of CTCs. In this review, we focus on the quantitative detection and heterogeneity analysis of CTCs using droplet microfluidics. Technologies that enable droplet microfluidics, particularly high-throughput droplet generation and high-efficiency droplet manipulation, are first discussed. Then, recent advances in detecting and analyzing CTCs using droplet microfluidics from the different aspects of nucleic acids, proteins, and metabolites are introduced. The purpose of this review is to provide guidance for the continued study of droplet microfluidics for CTC-based liquid biopsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Jiang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China.
| | - Hang Yang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China.
| | - Weiqi Cheng
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China.
| | - Zhonghua Ni
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China.
| | - Nan Xiang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China.
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14
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Templeman A, Miller MC, Cooke MJ, O'Shannessy DJ, Gurung Y, Pereira T, Peters SG, Piano MD, Teo M, Khazan N, Kim K, Cohen E, Lopez HB, Alvarez F, Ciccioli M, Pailhes-Jimenez AS. Analytical performance of the FDA-cleared Parsortix ® PC1 system. J Circ Biomark 2023; 12:26-33. [PMID: 37601320 PMCID: PMC10434983 DOI: 10.33393/jcb.2023.2629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The Parsortix® PC1 system, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared for use in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients, is an epitope-independent microfluidic device for the capture and harvest of circulating tumor cells from whole blood based on cell size and deformability. This report details the analytical characterization of linearity, detection limit, precision, and reproducibility for this device. Methods System performance was determined using K2-EDTA blood samples collected from self-declared healthy female volunteers (HVs) and MBC patients spiked with prelabeled cultured breast cancer cell lines (SKBR3, MCF7, or Hs578T). Samples were processed on Parsortix® PC1 systems and captured cells were harvested and enumerated. Results The system captured and harvested live SKBR3, MCF7, and Hs578T cells and fixed SKBR3 cells linearly between 2 and ~100 cells, with average harvest rates of 69%, 73%, 79%, and 90%, respectively. To harvest ≥1 cell ≥95% of the time, the system required 3, 5 or 4 live SKBR3, MCF7 or Hs578T cells, respectively. Average harvest rates from precision studies using 5, 10, and ~50 live cells spiked into blood for each cell line ranged from 63.5% to 76.2%, with repeatability and reproducibility percent coefficient of variation (%CV) estimates ranging from 12.3% to 32.4% and 13.3% to 34.1%, respectively. Average harvest rates using ~20 fixed SKBR3 cells spiked into HV and MBC patient blood samples were 75.0% ± 16.1% (%CV = 22.3%) and 68.4% ± 14.3% (%CV = 21.1%), respectively. Conclusions These evaluations demonstrate the Parsortix® PC1 system linearly and reproducibly harvests tumor cells from blood over a range of 1 to ~100 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Daniel J O'Shannessy
- ANGLE North America, Inc., Plymouth Meeting, PA - USA
- TMDx Consulting LLC, Schwenksville, PA - USA
| | | | - Tiago Pereira
- ANGLE Europe Limited, Guildford - UK
- Whitings LLP, Ramsey - UK
| | - Samuel G Peters
- ANGLE Europe Limited, Guildford - UK
- Petmedix, Cambridge - UK
| | | | - Manilyn Teo
- ANGLE Europe Limited, Guildford - UK
- Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, Bracknell - UK
| | - Negar Khazan
- University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY - USA
| | - Kyukwang Kim
- University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY - USA
| | - Evan Cohen
- MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX - USA
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15
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Hasanzadeh Kafshgari M, Hayden O. Advances in analytical microfluidic workflows for differential cancer diagnosis. NANO SELECT 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/nano.202200158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Morteza Hasanzadeh Kafshgari
- Heinz‐Nixdorf‐Chair of Biomedical Electronics Campus Klinikum München rechts der Isar TranslaTUM Technical University of Munich Munich Germany
| | - Oliver Hayden
- Heinz‐Nixdorf‐Chair of Biomedical Electronics Campus Klinikum München rechts der Isar TranslaTUM Technical University of Munich Munich Germany
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16
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Kim H, Zhbanov A, Yang S. Microfluidic Systems for Blood and Blood Cell Characterization. BIOSENSORS 2022; 13:13. [PMID: 36671848 PMCID: PMC9856090 DOI: 10.3390/bios13010013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
A laboratory blood test is vital for assessing a patient's health and disease status. Advances in microfluidic technology have opened the door for on-chip blood analysis. Currently, microfluidic devices can reproduce myriad routine laboratory blood tests. Considerable progress has been made in microfluidic cytometry, blood cell separation, and characterization. Along with the usual clinical parameters, microfluidics makes it possible to determine the physical properties of blood and blood cells. We review recent advances in microfluidic systems for measuring the physical properties and biophysical characteristics of blood and blood cells. Added emphasis is placed on multifunctional platforms that combine several microfluidic technologies for effective cell characterization. The combination of hydrodynamic, optical, electromagnetic, and/or acoustic methods in a microfluidic device facilitates the precise determination of various physical properties of blood and blood cells. We analyzed the physical quantities that are measured by microfluidic devices and the parameters that are determined through these measurements. We discuss unexplored problems and present our perspectives on the long-term challenges and trends associated with the application of microfluidics in clinical laboratories. We expect the characterization of the physical properties of blood and blood cells in a microfluidic environment to be considered a standard blood test in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hojin Kim
- Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Dongseo University, Busan 47011, Republic of Korea
| | - Alexander Zhbanov
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Yang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
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17
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Homer WJA, Lisnenko M, Gardner AC, Kostakova EK, Valtera J, Wall IB, Jencova V, Topham PD, Theodosiou E. Assessment of thermally stabilized electrospun poly(vinyl alcohol) materials as cell permeable membranes for a novel blood salvage device. BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES 2022; 144:213197. [PMID: 36462387 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2022.213197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The use of Intraoperative Cell Salvage (ICS) is currently limited in oncological surgeries, due to safety concerns associated with the ability of existing devices to successfully remove circulating tumour cells. In this work, we present the first stages towards the creation of an alternative platform to current cell savers, based on the extremely selective immunoaffinity membrane chromatography principle. Non-woven membranes were produced via electrospinning using poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), and further heat treated at 180 °C to prevent their dissolution in aqueous environments and preserve their fibrous morphology. The effects of the PVA degree of hydrolysis (DH) (98 % vs 99 %), method of electrospinning (needleless DC vs AC), and heat treatment duration (1-8 h) were investigated. All heat treated supports maintained their cytocompatibility, whilst tensile tests indicated that the 99 % hydrolysed DC electrospun mats were stronger compared to their 98 % DH counterparts. Although, and at the described conditions, AC electrospinning produced fibres with more than double the diameter compared to those from DC electrospinning, it was not chosen for subsequent experiments because it is still under development. Evidence of unimpeded passage of SY5Y neuroblastoma cells and undiluted defibrinated sheep's blood in flow-through filtration experiments confirmed the successful creation of 3D networks with minimum resistance to mass transfer and lack of non-specific cell binding to the base material, paving the way for the development of novel, highly selective ICS devices for tumour surgeries.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Joseph A Homer
- Engineering for Health Research Centre, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK
| | - Maxim Lisnenko
- Dpt. Of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Humanities and Education, Technical University of Liberec, Liberec, Czech Republic
| | - Adrian C Gardner
- The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK; College of Health and Life Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK
| | - Eva K Kostakova
- Dpt. Of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Humanities and Education, Technical University of Liberec, Liberec, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Valtera
- Dpt. Of Textile Machine Design, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Liberec, Liberec, Czech Republic
| | - Ivan B Wall
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK
| | - Vera Jencova
- Dpt. Of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Humanities and Education, Technical University of Liberec, Liberec, Czech Republic
| | - Paul D Topham
- Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK
| | - Eirini Theodosiou
- Engineering for Health Research Centre, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK.
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18
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Chien HW, Wu JC, Chang YC, Tsai WB. Polycarboxybetaine-Based Hydrogels for the Capture and Release of Circulating Tumor Cells. Gels 2022; 8:gels8070391. [PMID: 35877476 PMCID: PMC9317810 DOI: 10.3390/gels8070391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are indicators for the detection, diagnosis, and monitoring of cancers and offer biological information for the development of personalized medicine. Techniques for the specific capture and non-destructive release of CTCs from millions of blood cells remain highly desirable. Here, we present a CTC capture-and-release system using a disulfide-containing poly(carboxybetaine methacrylate) (pCB) hydrogel. The non-fouling characteristic of pCB prevents unwanted, nonspecific cell binding, while the carboxyl functionality of pCB is used for the conjugation of anti-epithelial cell adhesion molecule (anti-EpCAM) antibodies for the capture of CTCs. The results demonstrated that the anti-EpCAM-conjugated pCB hydrogel captured HCT116 cells from blood, and the capture ratio reached 45%. Furthermore, the captured HCT116 cells were released within 30 min from the dissolution of the pCB hydrogel by adding cysteine, which breaks the disulfide bonds of the crosslinkers. The cells released were viable and able to grow. Our system has potential in the development of a device for CTC diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiu-Wen Chien
- Department of Chemical and Material Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan;
| | - Jen-Chia Wu
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan;
| | - Ying-Chih Chang
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan;
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Correspondence: or (Y.-C.C.); (W.-B.T.); Tel./Fax: +886-2-27871277 (Y.-C.C.); +886-2-33663996 (W.-B.T.)
| | - Wei-Bor Tsai
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan
- Correspondence: or (Y.-C.C.); (W.-B.T.); Tel./Fax: +886-2-27871277 (Y.-C.C.); +886-2-33663996 (W.-B.T.)
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19
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Dimaki M, Olsen MH, Rozlosnik N, Svendsen WE. Sub–100 nm Nanoparticle Upconcentration in Flow by Dielectrophoretic Forces. MICROMACHINES 2022; 13:mi13060866. [PMID: 35744480 PMCID: PMC9230564 DOI: 10.3390/mi13060866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents a novel microfluidic chip for upconcentration of sub–100 nm nanoparticles in a flow using electrical forces generated by a DC or AC field. Two electrode designs were optimized using COMSOL Multiphysics and tested using particles with sizes as low as 47 nm. We show how inclined electrodes with a zig-zag three-tooth configuration in a channel of 20 µm width are the ones generating the highest gradient and therefore the largest force. The design, based on AC dielectrophoresis, was shown to upconcentrate sub–100 nm particles by a factor of 11 using a flow rate of 2–25 µL/h. We present theoretical and experimental results and discuss how the chip design can easily be massively parallelized in order to increase throughput by a factor of at least 1250.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Dimaki
- DTU Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, Bldg 221, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark;
- Correspondence:
| | - Mark Holm Olsen
- Center for Plastics and Packaging Technology, Teknologisk Institut, Gregersensvej 1, 2630 Taastrup, Denmark;
| | | | - Winnie E. Svendsen
- DTU Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, Bldg 221, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark;
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20
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Ferreri C, Sansone A, Chatgilialoglu C, Ferreri R, Amézaga J, Burgos MC, Arranz S, Tueros I. Critical Review on Fatty Acid-Based Food and Nutraceuticals as Supporting Therapy in Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23116030. [PMID: 35682708 PMCID: PMC9181022 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23116030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Fatty acids have an important place in both biological and nutritional contexts and, from a clinical point of view, they have known consequences for diseases’ onset and development, including cancer. The use of fatty acid-based food and nutraceuticals to support cancer therapy is a multidisciplinary subject, involving molecular and clinical research. Knowledge regarding polyunsaturated fatty acids essentiality/oxidizability and the role of lipogenesis-desaturase pathways for cell growth, as well as oxidative reactivity in cancer cells, are discussed, since they can drive the choice of fatty acids using their multiple roles to support antitumoral drug activity. The central role of membrane fatty acid composition is highlighted for the application of membrane lipid therapy. As fatty acids are also known as biomarkers of cancer onset and progression, the personalization of the fatty acid-based therapy is also possible, taking into account other important factors such as formulation, bioavailability and the distribution of the supplementation. A holistic approach emerges combining nutra- and pharma-strategies in an appropriate manner, to develop further knowledge and applications in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Ferreri
- Istituto per la Sintesi Organica e la Fotoreattività, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Piero Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy; (A.S.); (C.C.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Anna Sansone
- Istituto per la Sintesi Organica e la Fotoreattività, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Piero Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy; (A.S.); (C.C.)
| | - Chryssostomos Chatgilialoglu
- Istituto per la Sintesi Organica e la Fotoreattività, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Piero Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy; (A.S.); (C.C.)
| | - Rosaria Ferreri
- Department of Integrated Medicine, Tuscany Reference Centre for Integrated Medicine in the Hospital Pathway, Pitigliano Hospital, ASL Sudest Toscana, 58017 Pitigliano, Italy;
| | - Javier Amézaga
- AZTI, Food Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Astondo Bidea, Edificio 609, 48160 Derio, Spain; (J.A.); (M.C.B.); (S.A.); (I.T.)
| | - Mercedes Caro Burgos
- AZTI, Food Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Astondo Bidea, Edificio 609, 48160 Derio, Spain; (J.A.); (M.C.B.); (S.A.); (I.T.)
| | - Sara Arranz
- AZTI, Food Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Astondo Bidea, Edificio 609, 48160 Derio, Spain; (J.A.); (M.C.B.); (S.A.); (I.T.)
| | - Itziar Tueros
- AZTI, Food Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Astondo Bidea, Edificio 609, 48160 Derio, Spain; (J.A.); (M.C.B.); (S.A.); (I.T.)
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21
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Carvalho Â, Guimarães-Teixeira C, Constâncio V, Fernandes M, Macedo-Silva C, Henrique R, Monteiro FJ, Jerónimo C. One sample fits all: a microfluidic-assisted methodology for label-free isolation of CTCs with downstream methylation analysis of cfDNA in lung cancer. Biomater Sci 2022; 10:3296-3308. [PMID: 35583893 DOI: 10.1039/d2bm00044j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Lung cancer (LC) is a major cause of mortality. Late diagnosis, associated with limitations in tissue biopsies for adequate tumor characterization contribute to limited survival of lung cancer patients. Liquid biopsies have been introduced to improve tumor characetrization through the analysis of biomarkers, including circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and cell-free DNA (cfDNA). Considering their availability in blood, several enrichment strategies have been developed to augment circulating biomarkers for improving diagnostic, prognostic and treament efficacy assessment; often, however, only one biomarker is tested. In this work we developed and implemented a microfluidic chip for label-free enrichment of CTCs with a methodology for subsequent cfDNA analysis from the same cryopreserved sample. CTCs were successfully isolated in 38 of 42 LC patients with the microfluidic chip. CTCs frequency was significantly higher in LC patients with advanced disease. A cut-off of 1 CTC per mL was established for diagnosis (sensitivity = 76.19%, specificity = 100%) and in patients with late stage lung cancer, the presence of ≥5 CTCs per mL was significantly associated with shorter overall survival. MIR129-2me and ADCY4me panel of cfDNA methylation performed well for LC detection, whereas MIR129-2me combined with HOXA11me allowed for patient risk stratification. Analysis of combinations of biomarkers enabled the definition of panels for LC diagnosis and prognosis. Overall, this study demonstrates that multimodal analysis of tumour biomarkers via microfluidic devices may significantly improve LC characterization in cryopreserved samples, constituting a reliable source for continuous disease monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ângela Carvalho
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal. .,INEB-Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.,Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (P.CCC), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
| | - Catarina Guimarães-Teixeira
- Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (P.CCC), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal.,Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Group, IPO Porto Research Center (GEBC CI-IPOP), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
| | - Vera Constâncio
- Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (P.CCC), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal.,Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Group, IPO Porto Research Center (GEBC CI-IPOP), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
| | - Mariana Fernandes
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal. .,INEB-Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Catarina Macedo-Silva
- Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (P.CCC), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal.,Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Group, IPO Porto Research Center (GEBC CI-IPOP), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
| | - Rui Henrique
- Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (P.CCC), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal.,Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Group, IPO Porto Research Center (GEBC CI-IPOP), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal.,Department of Pathology, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal.,Department of Pathology and Molecular Immunology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto (ICBAS-UP), Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-513 Porto, Portugal
| | - Fernando Jorge Monteiro
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal. .,INEB-Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.,Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (P.CCC), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal.,Faculdade de Engenharia, Departamento de Engenharia Metalúrgica e Materiais, Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr Roberto Frias, s/n, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Carmen Jerónimo
- Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (P.CCC), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal.,Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Group, IPO Porto Research Center (GEBC CI-IPOP), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal.,Department of Pathology and Molecular Immunology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto (ICBAS-UP), Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-513 Porto, Portugal
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22
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Microfluidic release of the rare cells captured by a filter with tapered holes. MICRO AND NANO ENGINEERING 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mne.2022.100119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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23
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An Immunological Perspective of Circulating Tumor Cells as Diagnostic Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12020323. [PMID: 35207611 PMCID: PMC8878951 DOI: 10.3390/life12020323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune modulation is a hallmark of cancer. Cancer–immune interaction shapes the course of disease progression at every step of tumorigenesis, including metastasis, of which circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are regarded as an indicator. These CTCs are a heterogeneous population of tumor cells that have disseminated from the tumor into circulation. They have been increasingly studied in recent years due to their importance in diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of treatment response. Ample evidence demonstrates that CTCs interact with immune cells in circulation, where they must evade immune surveillance or modulate immune response. The interaction between CTCs and the immune system is emerging as a critical point by which CTCs facilitate metastatic progression. Understanding the complex crosstalk between the two may provide a basis for devising new diagnostic and treatment strategies. In this review, we will discuss the current understanding of CTCs and the complex immune-CTC interactions. We also present novel options in clinical interventions, targeting the immune-CTC interfaces, and provide some suggestions on future research directions.
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24
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Abstract
Magnetic cell separation has become a key methodology for the isolation of target cell populations from biological suspensions, covering a wide spectrum of applications from diagnosis and therapy in biomedicine to environmental applications or fundamental research in biology. There now exists a great variety of commercially available separation instruments and reagents, which has permitted rapid dissemination of the technology. However, there is still an increasing demand for new tools and protocols which provide improved selectivity, yield and sensitivity of the separation process while reducing cost and providing a faster response. This review aims to introduce basic principles of magnetic cell separation for the neophyte, while giving an overview of recent research in the field, from the development of new cell labeling strategies to the design of integrated microfluidic cell sorters and of point-of-care platforms combining cell selection, capture, and downstream detection. Finally, we focus on clinical, industrial and environmental applications where magnetic cell separation strategies are amongst the most promising techniques to address the challenges of isolating rare cells.
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25
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Zhang L, Zhu Y, Wei X, Chen X, Li Y, Zhu Y, Xia J, Huang Y, Huang Y, Wang J, Pang Z. Nanoplateletsomes restrain metastatic tumor formation through decoy and active targeting in a preclinical mouse model. Acta Pharm Sin B 2022; 12:3427-3447. [PMID: 35967283 PMCID: PMC9366539 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2022.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Platelets buoy up cancer metastasis via arresting cancer cells, enhancing their adhesion, and facilitating their extravasation through the vasculature. When deprived of intracellular and granular contents, platelet decoys could prevent metastatic tumor formation. Inspired by these, we developed nanoplatesomes by fusing platelet membranes with lipid membranes (P-Lipo) to restrain metastatic tumor formation more efficiently. It was shown nanoplateletsomes bound with circulating tumor cells (CTC) efficiently, interfered with CTC arrest by vessel endothelial cells, CTC extravasation through endothelial layers, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of tumor cells as nanodecoys. More importantly, in the mouse breast tumor metastasis model, nanoplateletsomes could decrease CTC survival in the blood and counteract metastatic tumor growth efficiently by inhibiting the inflammation and suppressing CTC escape. Therefore, nanoplatelesomes might usher in a new avenue to suppress lung metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longlong Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yuefei Zhu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xunbin Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Med-X Research Institute and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Xing Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yang Li
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Ying Zhu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jiaxuan Xia
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yiheng Huang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yongzhuo Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jianxin Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 201203, China
- Institute of Materia Medica, Academy of Chinese and Western Integrative Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
- Corresponding authors.
| | - Zhiqing Pang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 201203, China
- Corresponding authors.
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26
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Tieng FYF, Abu N, Nasir SN, Lee LH, Ab Mutalib NS. Liquid Biopsy-Based Colorectal Cancer Screening via Surface Markers of Circulating Tumor Cells. Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:2136. [PMID: 34829483 PMCID: PMC8618170 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11112136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is ranked second for cancer-related deaths worldwide with approximately half of the patients being diagnosed at the late stages. The untimely detection of CRC results in advancement to the metastatic stage and nearly 90% of cancer-related deaths. The early detection of CRC is crucial to decrease its overall incidence and mortality rates. The recent introduction of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) has enabled a less invasive sampling method from liquid biopsies, besides revealing key information toward CRC metastasis. The current gold standard for CTC identification is the CellSearch® system (Veridex). This first-generation instrumentation relies on a single cell surface marker (CSM) to capture and count CTCs. Detection of CTCs allows the identification of patients at risk for metastasis, whereas CTC enumeration could improve risk assessment, monitoring of systemic therapy, and detection of therapy resistance in advanced metastatic CRC. In this review, we compared the pros and cons between single CSM-based CTC enrichment techniques and multi-marker-based systems. We also highlighted the challenges faced in the routine implementation of CSM-dependent CTC detection methods in CRC screening, prediction, prognosis, disease monitoring, and therapy selection toward precision medicine, as well as the dwelling on post-CTC analysis and characterization methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis Yew Fu Tieng
- UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia; (F.Y.F.T.); (N.A.); (S.N.N.)
| | - Nadiah Abu
- UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia; (F.Y.F.T.); (N.A.); (S.N.N.)
| | - Siti Nurmi Nasir
- UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia; (F.Y.F.T.); (N.A.); (S.N.N.)
| | - Learn-Han Lee
- Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery Research Group, Microbiome and Bioresource Research Strength, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University of Malaysia, Subang Jaya 47500, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Nurul-Syakima Ab Mutalib
- UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia; (F.Y.F.T.); (N.A.); (S.N.N.)
- Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery Research Group, Microbiome and Bioresource Research Strength, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University of Malaysia, Subang Jaya 47500, Selangor, Malaysia
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia
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27
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Lin AY, Wang DD, Li L, Lin PP. Identification and Comprehensive Co-Detection of Necrotic and Viable Aneuploid Cancer Cells in Peripheral Blood. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:5108. [PMID: 34680256 PMCID: PMC8534250 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13205108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Aneuploid circulating tumor cells (CTCs, CD31-) and circulating tumor endothelial cells (CTECs, CD31+) exhibit an active interplay in peripheral blood, and play an essential role in tumorigenesis, neoangiogenesis, disease progression, therapy-resistant minimal residual disease (MRD), cancer metastasis and relapse. Currently, most CTC detection techniques are restricted to the indistinguishable quantification of circulating rare cells, including both necrotic and viable cells in cancer patients. Clinically imperative demands to distinguish and detect live and/or dead non-hematological aneuploid cancer cells in peripheral blood, which will assist in the rapid evaluation of therapeutic effects, real-time monitoring of treatment resistance longitudinally developed along with therapy and the effective detection of post-therapeutic MRD, have not yet been achieved. The integrated subtraction enrichment and immunostaining-fluorescence in situ hybridization (SE-iFISH)-derived novel strategy was developed in this study, aiming to precisely identify and detect live and necrotic cancer cells (NC) enriched from carcinoma patients' biofluids. The innovative SE-iFISH (NC) provides a meaningful and practical approach to co-detect various viable and necrotic aneuploid CTCs and CTECs. The detected circulating rare cells can be characterized and categorized into diverse subtypes based upon cell viability, morphology, multiple tumor markers' expression, and the degree of aneuploidy relevant to both malignancy and therapeutic resistance. Each subtype of live or necrotic CTCs and CTECs possesses distinct utility in anti-cancer drug development, translational research, and clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Peter Ping Lin
- Cytelligen, San Diego, CA 92121, USA; (A.Y.L.); (D.D.W.); (L.L.)
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28
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Park C, Abafogi AT, Ponnuvelu DV, Song I, Ko K, Park S. Enhanced Luminescent Detection of Circulating Tumor Cells by a 3D Printed Immunomagnetic Concentrator. BIOSENSORS 2021; 11:278. [PMID: 34436080 PMCID: PMC8391490 DOI: 10.3390/bios11080278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are an indicator of metastatic progression and relapse. Since non-CTC cells such as red blood cells outnumber CTCs in the blood, the separation and enrichment of CTCs is key to improving their detection sensitivity. The ATP luminescence assay can measure intracellular ATP to detect cells quickly but has not yet been used for CTC detection in the blood because extracellular ATP in the blood, derived from non-CTCs, interferes with the measurement. Herein, we report on the improvement of the ATP luminescence assay for the detection of CTCs by separating and concentrating CTCs in the blood using a 3D printed immunomagnetic concentrator (3DPIC). Because of its high-aspect-ratio structure and resistance to high flow rates, 3DPIC allows cancer cells in 10 mL to be concentrated 100 times within minutes. This enables the ATP luminescence assay to detect as low as 10 cells in blood, thereby being about 10 times more sensitive than when commercial kits are used for CTC concentration. This is the first time that the ATP luminescence assay was used for the detection of cancer cells in blood. These results demonstrate the feasibility of 3DPIC as a concentrator to improve the detection limit of the ATP luminescence assay for the detection of CTCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chanyong Park
- Department of Medical Device, Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials (KIMM), Daegu 42994, Korea;
| | - Abdurhaman Teyib Abafogi
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Korea; (A.T.A.); (D.V.P.)
| | - Dinesh Veeran Ponnuvelu
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Korea; (A.T.A.); (D.V.P.)
| | - Ilchan Song
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Korea; (I.S.); (K.K.)
| | - Kisung Ko
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Korea; (I.S.); (K.K.)
| | - Sungsu Park
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Korea; (A.T.A.); (D.V.P.)
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Korea
- Institute of Quantum Biophysics (IQB), Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Korea
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29
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Svetlizky D, Levi O, Eliaz N. Design of a high-throughput bio-ferrograph for isolation of cancer cells from whole blood. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2021; 92:074103. [PMID: 34340459 DOI: 10.1063/5.0053038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Enumeration and morphological characterization of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can be useful in diagnosis and prognosis of metastatic cancer patients. The bio-ferrograph (BF) with its five flow channels, which was developed in the late 1990s for magnetic isolation of biological cells and tissue fragments from fluids, is a modification of the analytical ferrograph. Its use for isolation of rare CTCs from human whole blood (HWB) is a novel approach for the detection of cancer at a cellular level. The isolation process is facilitated by the interaction of specifically magnetized cells with a strong external magnetic field, yielding high recovery rates with no morphological alternation of cells that are isolated on a coverslip glass slide, thus allowing complementary microscopic, chemical, biological, and mechanical analyses. Here, a full mechanical and magnetostatic design of a novel high-throughput BF is presented. The system design is based on an optimized procedure for bio-ferrographic isolation of CTCs from HWB. It incorporates a semi-automated CTC separation system consisting of sample preparation, labeling, and staining; magnetic isolation; and system recovery. The design process was optimized based on experimental feasibility tests and finite element analyses. The novel bench-top system consists of 100 flow channels, allowing simultaneous analysis of multiple samples from 20 patients in each run, with the potential to become a decision-making tool for medical doctors when monitoring patients in a hospital setting. It opens a new route for early diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of cancers, as well as other diseases, such as osteoarthritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Svetlizky
- Biomaterials and Corrosion Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - O Levi
- Biomaterials and Corrosion Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - N Eliaz
- Biomaterials and Corrosion Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
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30
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Fallahi H, Yadav S, Phan HP, Ta H, Zhang J, Nguyen NT. Size-tuneable isolation of cancer cells using stretchable inertial microfluidics. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:2008-2018. [PMID: 34008666 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00082a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Inertial microfluidics is a simple, low cost, efficient size-based separation technique which is being widely investigated for rare-cell isolation and detection. Due to the fixed geometrical dimensions of the current rigid inertial microfluidic systems, most of them are only capable of isolating and separating cells with certain types and sizes. Herein, we report the design, fabrication, and validation of a stretchable inertial microfluidic device with a tuneable separation threshold that can be used for heterogenous mixtures of particles and cells. Stretchability allows for the fine-tuning of the critical sorting size, resulting in a high separation resolution that makes the separation of cells with small size differences possible. We validated the tunability of the separation threshold by stretching the length of a microchannel to separate the particle sizes of interest. We also evaluated the focusing efficiency, flow behaviour, and the positions of cancer cells and white blood cells (WBCs) in an elongated channel, separately. In addition, the performance of the device was verified by isolating cancer cells from WBCs which revealed a high recovery rate and purity. The stretchable chip showed promising results in the separation of cells with comparable sizes. Further validation of the chip using whole blood spiked with cancer cells delivered a 98.6% recovery rate with 90% purity. Elongating a stretchable microfluidic chip enables onsite modification of the dimensions of a microchannel leading to a precise tunability of the separation threshold as well as a high separation resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hedieh Fallahi
- Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia.
| | - Sharda Yadav
- Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia.
| | - Hoang-Phuong Phan
- Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia.
| | - Hang Ta
- Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia.
| | - Jun Zhang
- Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia.
| | - Nam-Trung Nguyen
- Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia.
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31
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Williams PS, Moore LR, Joshi P, Goodin M, Zborowski M, Fleischman A. Microfluidic chip for graduated magnetic separation of circulating tumor cells by their epithelial cell adhesion molecule expression and magnetic nanoparticle binding. J Chromatogr A 2021; 1637:461823. [PMID: 33385746 PMCID: PMC7827554 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2020.461823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The enumeration of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the peripheral bloodstream of metastatic cancer patients has contributed to improvements in prognosis and therapeutics. There have been numerous approaches to capture and counting of CTCs. However, CTCs have potential information beyond simple enumeration and hold promise as a liquid biopsy for cancer and a pathway for personalized cancer therapy by detecting the subset of CTCs having the highest metastatic potential. There is evidence that epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) expression level distinguishes these highly metastatic CTCs. The few previous approaches to selective CTC capture according to EpCAM expression level are reviewed. A new two-stage microfluidic device for separation, enrichment and release of CTCs into subpopulations sorted by EpCAM expression level is presented here. It relies upon immunospecific magnetic nanoparticle labeling of CTCs followed by their field- and flow-based separation in the first stage and capture as discrete subpopulations in the second stage. To fine tune the separation, the magnetic field profile across the first stage microfluidic channel may be modified by bonding small Vanadium Permendur strips to its outer walls. Mathematical modeling of magnetic fields and fluid flows supports the soundness of the design.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Stephen Williams
- Cambrian Technologies Inc., 1772 Saratoga Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44109, USA.
| | - Lee R Moore
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | | | - Mark Goodin
- SimuTech Group, 1742 Georgetown Rd., Suite B, Hudson, OH 44236, USA
| | - Maciej Zborowski
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Aaron Fleischman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
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32
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Akpe V, Murhekar S, Kim TH, Brown CL, Cock IE. Profiling the Neoplasm Microenvironment of Silica Nanomaterial-Derived Scaffolds of Single, 2-, and 3-Composite Systems. Assay Drug Dev Technol 2021; 19:191-203. [PMID: 33471566 DOI: 10.1089/adt.2020.1020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The challenges with scaffold profiling of cell-based assay includes accelerated cancer cell proliferation, induced scaffold toxicity, and identifying irrelevant cancer cell-based assays in batch assessments. This study investigates profiling carcinoma of breast cancer cells of MCF-7 model systems using silica nanoparticles scaffold sourced from synthetic materials and plant extracts. Herein, the engineered tissue scaffolds were used to create temporary structures for cancer cell attachments, differentiation, and subsequently to assess the metabolic activity of the cancer cell colonies. The cell viability of the cancer cells was assessed using the tetrazolium compound (MTS reagent), which was reduced to colored formazan, to indicate metabolically active cancer cells in a proliferating assay. We aimed to develop cancer cell-based scaffolds that not only mimic the neoplastic activity, but that also allowed synergistic interaction with cisplatin for in vitro assay screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Akpe
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Australia.,School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, Australia
| | - Shweta Murhekar
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Australia.,School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, Australia
| | - Tak H Kim
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Australia.,School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, Australia
| | - Christopher L Brown
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Australia.,School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, Australia
| | - Ian E Cock
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Australia.,School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, Australia
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