Capturing Tumor Cells on a Magnetic Wire
Stanford University bioengineers have designed a method for capturing circulating tumor cells in the blood stream. Their approach uses “special” (presumably iron) nanoparticles with an antibody coating, and a magnetic wire, similar to the early designed stem cell isolators. “. . . the wire, which is about the length of your pinky finger and the thickness of a paperclip, to work, circulating tumor cells must be effectively magnetized with nanoparticles. The nanoparticles contain an antibody that latches onto circulating tumor cells. Once the floating tumor cell and nanoparticle are hitched, the cell lugs the tiny magnet around with it, and when the cell-magnet complex flows past the wire, it’s compelled by magnetic force to veer from its regular path in the bloodstream and stick to the wire. Then, the wire is removed from the vein, and the cells are stripped for analysis.” So far, this has only been done with animals, but the results there were promising. MORE
Image Credit: Stanford Medicine News Center, Sam Gambhir