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Significance
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are cancer cells that have detached from a primary tumor and entered the bloodstream. These cells can travel through the blood to other parts of the body, leading to the formation of metastases in distant organs. The isolation and detection of CTCs from the peripheral blood of cancer patients are crucial for early cancer diagnosis and prognosis. However, the rarity and fragility of CTCs pose significant challenges in their separation and analysis. Traditional methods suffer from drawbacks such as low efficiency, high reagent consumption, and time-consuming procedures. To overcome these limitations, microfluidic techniques have emerged as promising tools for CTC separation and enrichment. Microfluidic devices offer advantages such as reduced sample size, lower reagent consumption, simplified operation, and high throughput capabilities. Among the various microfluidic approaches, physical separation microdevices based on biophysical differences have shown great potential. These devices utilize biophysical properties such as size, density, deformability, and dielectric properties to distinguish CTCs from normal blood cells. Unlike affinity capture microchips, physical separation modalities offer label-free separation capabilities and high recovery rates. They have demonstrated efficient separation of CTCs from the complex blood matrix, providing a valuable tool for early tumor detection.
In a new study published in the peer-reviewed journal Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, Hui Qiu, Haoyu Wang, and Xiupei Yang, led by Professor Feng Huo from Neijiang Normal University, presented an innovative approach to address these challenges. They developed an acoustofluidic chip separation system coupled with an ultrasonic concentrated energy transducer (UCET) system, enabling efficient separation of CTCs from whole blood samples. The acoustofluidic chip employed inertial forces to pre-focus acoustically sensitive particles, followed by the application of acoustic radiation forces (ARF) to separate particles of different sizes. To simulate CTCs, aminated mesoporous acoustically sensitive particles (MSN@AM) were encapsulated within carboxylate polystyrene microspheres (PS-COOH). The resulting MSN@AM@PS-COOH particles were effectively separated using the acoustofluidic chip coupling system.
The authors demonstrated the efficient separation of MSNs agglomerates, PS microspheres, and MSN@AM@PS-COOH particles using the acoustofluidic chip coupled with the UCET system. The low-frequency traveling wave sound field generated by the UCET system (20 kHz) proved to be more effective in manipulating and separating the CTCs-like particles. By optimizing the power and time parameters, the researchers achieved remarkable separation of the target particles in mixed suspensions. The results showcased the sensitivity, responsiveness, and efficacy of the acoustofluidic chip coupled with the UCET system in sorting CTCs-like particles.
The acoustofluidic chip coupled with the UCET system offers several advantages for CTC separation. The system reduces the complexity, cost, and operation difficulties associated with existing methods. It requires fewer reagents and enables the efficient isolation of CTCs from whole blood samples. By using PS microspheres as substitutes for cells, the system provides a reliable basis for sorting out CTCs efficiently. The technology holds significant promise in early cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring. With further development and refinement, this innovative approach could revolutionize the field of cancer diagnostics.
The study conducted by Professor Feng Huo and associates presents a breakthrough in the isolation of circulating tumor cells. The acoustofluidic chip coupled with the ultrasonic separation system offers a novel and efficient method for separating CTCs from whole blood samples. The system’s ability to manipulate and separate CTCs-like particles demonstrates its potential for clinical application in cancer diagnosis and prognosis. The new study opens up new avenues for the development of innovative technologies in the field of cancer research and paves the way for early detection and improved patient outcomes.
Reference
Qiu H, Wang H, Yang X, Huo F. High performance isolation of circulating tumor cells by acoustofluidic chip coupled with ultrasonic concentrated energy transducer. Colloids Surf B: Biointerfaces. 2023 Feb;222:113138. doi: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2023.113138.