Liquid Biopsy for Metastatic Cancer

Liquid Biopsy Plate
Scientists at Worcester Polytechnic Institute have engineered a microchip that can trap and identify metastatic cancer cells in a small amount of blood, working better than a microfluidics device. The device “includes an array of tiny elements, each about a tenth of an inch (3 millimeters) across. Each element has a well, at the bottom of which are antibodies attached to carbon nanotubes. Each well holds a specific antibody that will bind selectively to one type of cancer cell type, based on genetic markers on its surface. By seeding elements with an assortment of antibodies, the device could be set up to capture several different cancer cells types using a single blood sample. In the lab, the researchers were able to fill a total of 170 wells using just under 0.3 fluid ounces (0.85 milliliter) of blood. Even with that small sample, they captured between one and a thousand cells per device, with a capture efficiency of between 62 and 100 percent.” See the video of how it works. MORE WITH VIDEO
Image Credit: Worcester Polytechnic Institute