Latest Research

An integrated microfluidic chip for isolation, culture and drug susceptibility testing of cancer cells

Abstract

“Cancer patients with advanced disease are characterized by intrinsic challenges in predicting drug response patterns, often leading to ineffective treatment. Current clinical practice for treatment decision-making is commonly based on primary or secondary tumour biopsies, yet when disease progression accelerates, tissue biopsies are not performed on a regular basis. It is in this context that liquid biopsies may offer a unique window to uncover key vulnerabilities, providing valuable information about previously underappreciated treatment opportunities. Here, we present MyCTC chip, a novel microfluidic device enabling the isolation, culture and drug susceptibility testing of cancer cells derived from liquid biopsies. Cancer cell capture is achieved through a label-free, antigen-agnostic enrichment method, and it is followed by cultivation in dedicated conditions, allowing on-chip expansion of captured cells. Upon growth, cancer cells are then transferred to drug screen chambers located within the same device, where multiple compounds can be tested simultaneously. We demonstrate MyCTC chip performance by means of spike-in experiments with patient-derived breast circulating tumour cells, enabling >95% capture rates, as well as prospective processing of blood from breast cancer patients and ascites fluid from patients with ovarian, tubal and endometrial cancer, where sensitivity to specific chemotherapeutic agents was identified. Together, we provide evidence that MyCTC chip may be used to identify personalized drug response patterns in patients with advanced metastatic disease and with limited treatment opportunities.

 

“MyCTC chip design. a Design of the MyCTC chip, containing a PDMS layer (top) and COC layer including the microfluidic structures (bottom). b Image showing the MyCTC chip, including a detailed view of the capture and culture section (red) and drug screen chamber (blue). c Focus stacked images showing the capture and culture chamber and drug screen chamber. d Schematic representation of the CTC capture process of the MyCTC chip” Reproduced under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License from Schwab, F.D., Scheidmann, M.C., Ozimski, L.L. et al. MyCTC chip: microfluidic-based drug screen with patient-derived tumour cells from liquid biopsies. Microsyst Nanoeng 8, 130 (2022).


Figures and the abstract are reproduced from Schwab, F.D., Scheidmann, M.C., Ozimski, L.L. et al. MyCTC chip: microfluidic-based drug screen with patient-derived tumour cells from liquid biopsies. Microsyst Nanoeng 8, 130 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41378-022-00467-y
 under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.


Read the original article:
MyCTC chip: microfluidic-based drug screen with patient-derived tumour cells from liquid biopsies

Pouriya Bayat

Published by
Pouriya Bayat

Recent Posts

Understanding Microbiome Influence on Melanoma Treatment Using Microfluidics Technology

Despite the significant advancements brought by immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in melanoma treatment, patient responses…

February 18, 2025

Microfluidic Research on C. elegans for Developmental Toxicity Testing: A Novel Machine Learning Approach

Traditional developmental toxicity (DevTox) studies largely rely on mammalian models to assess chemical impacts on…

February 4, 2025

Advancing Liquid Biopsies with High-Throughput Microfluidics

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) hold the potential for cancer diagnosis and monitoring, offering a non-invasive…

January 20, 2025

Development of a Microfluidic Impedance Flow Cytometer

Leukocyte differentiation and counting are critical for clinical diagnostics but are hindered by the low…

January 6, 2025

Enhanced Screening of Proteolytic Microorganisms Using a Passive Droplet Microfluidic Platform

Screening for microbial proteolytic activity is essential in various biotechnological applications, including bioenergy, food processing,…

December 17, 2024

Chromatin Dynamics and Nuclear Condensate Behavior: Insights From a Microfluidic Assay

Understanding how cellular components, especially chromatin and nuclear condensates, respond to mechanical forces during confined…

November 25, 2024