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Zhu Z, Zhang Y, Zhang W, Tang D, Zhang S, Wang L, Zou X, Ni Z, Zhang S, Lv Y, Xiang N. High-throughput enrichment of portal venous circulating tumor cells for highly sensitive diagnosis of CA19-9-negative pancreatic cancer patients using inertial microfluidics. Biosens Bioelectron 2024; 259:116411. [PMID: 38781696 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2024.116411] [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: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
The carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) is commonly used as a representative biomarker for pancreatic cancer (PC); however, it lacks sensitivity and specificity for early-stage PC diagnosis. Furthermore, some patients with PC are negative for CA19-9 (<37 U/mL), which introduces additional limitations to their accurate diagnosis and treatment. Hence, improved methods to accurately detect PC stages in CA19-9-negative patients are warranted. In this study, tumor-proximal liquid biopsy and inertial microfluidics were coupled to enable high-throughput enrichment of portal venous circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and support the effective diagnosis of patients with early-stage PC. The proposed inertial microfluidic system was shown to provide size-based enrichment of CTCs using inertial focusing and Dean flow effects in slanted spiral channels. Notably, portal venous blood samples were found to have twice the yield of CTCs (21.4 cells per 5 mL) compared with peripheral blood (10.9 CTCs per 5 mL). A combination of peripheral and portal CTC data along with CA19-9 results showed to greatly improve the average accuracy of CA19-9-negative PC patients from 47.1% with regular CA19-9 tests up to 87.1%. Hence, portal venous CTC-based microfluidic biopsy can be used with high sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of early-stage PC, particularly in CA19-9-negative patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixian Zhu
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China
| | - Yixuan Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, No.321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China; Nanjing University Institute of Pancreatology, China
| | - Wenjun Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, No.321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dezhi Tang
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China
| | - Song Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, No.321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China; Nanjing University Institute of Pancreatology, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, No.321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China; Nanjing University Institute of Pancreatology, China
| | - Xiaoping Zou
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, No.321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China; Nanjing University Institute of Pancreatology, 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.
| | - Shu Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, No.321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China; Nanjing University Institute of Pancreatology, China.
| | - Ying Lv
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, No.321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China; Nanjing University Institute of Pancreatology, 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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2
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Zhou W, Zhu C, Shen P, Wang JF, Zhu G, Jia Y, Wu Y, Wang S, Sun J, Yang F, Song Y, Han X, Guan X. Hypoxia stimulates CTC-platelet cluster formation to promote breast cancer metastasis. iScience 2024; 27:109547. [PMID: 38660400 PMCID: PMC11039329 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Circulating tumor cell clusters/micro-emboli (CTM) possess greater metastatic capacity and survival advantage compared to individual circulating tumor cell (CTC). However, the formation of CTM subtypes and their role in tumor metastasis remain unclear. In this study, we used a microfluidic Cluster-Chip with easy operation and high efficiency to isolate CTM from peripheral blood, which confirmed their correlation with clinicopathological features and identified the critical role of CTC-platelet clusters in breast cancer metastasis. The correlation between platelets and CTM function was further confirmed in a mouse model and RNA sequencing of CTM identified high-expressed genes related to hypoxia stimulation and platelet activation which possibly suggested the correlation of hypoxia and CTC-platelet cluster formation. In conclusion, we successfully developed the Cluster-Chip platform to realize the clinical capture of CTMs and analyze the biological properties of CTC-platelet clusters, which could benefit the design of potential treatment regimens to prevent CTM-mediated metastasis and tumor malignant progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijia Zhou
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Chengjun Zhu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Peiliang Shen
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Jacqueline F. Wang
- Department of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Gaoshuang Zhu
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yuanyuan Jia
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yueyao Wu
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Siliang Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Jia Sun
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Fang Yang
- The Comprehensive cancer Center of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Yanni Song
- Department of Breast Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150 Haping Road, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Xin Han
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Xiaoxiang Guan
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
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3
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Magnusson C, Augustsson P, Undvall Anand E, Lenshof A, Josefsson A, Welén K, Bjartell A, Ceder Y, Lilja H, Laurell T. Acoustic Enrichment of Heterogeneous Circulating Tumor Cells and Clusters from Metastatic Prostate Cancer Patients. Anal Chem 2024; 96:6914-6921. [PMID: 38655666 PMCID: PMC11079855 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c05371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are important unmet clinical needs to develop cell enrichment technologies to enable unbiased label-free isolation of both single cell and clusters of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) manifesting heterogeneous lineage specificity. Here, we report a pilot study based on the microfluidic acoustophoresis enrichment of CTCs using the CellSearch CTC assay as a reference modality. METHODS Acoustophoresis uses an ultrasonic standing wave field to separate cells based on biomechanical properties (size, density, and compressibility), resulting in inherently label-free and epitope-independent cell enrichment. Following red blood cell lysis and paraformaldehyde fixation, 6 mL of whole blood from 12 patients with metastatic prostate cancer and 20 healthy controls were processed with acoustophoresis and subsequent image cytometry. RESULTS Acoustophoresis enabled enrichment and characterization of phenotypic CTCs (EpCAM+, Cytokeratin+, DAPI+, CD45-/CD66b-) in all patients with metastatic prostate cancer and detected CTC-clusters composed of only CTCs or heterogeneous aggregates of CTCs clustered with various types of white blood cells in 9 out of 12 patients. By contrast, CellSearch did not detect any CTC clusters, but detected comparable numbers of phenotypic CTCs as acoustophoresis, with trends of finding a higher number of CTCs using acoustophoresis. CONCLUSION Our preliminary data indicate that acoustophoresis provides excellent possibilities to detect and characterize CTC clusters as a putative marker of metastatic disease and outcomes. Moreover, acoustophoresis enables the sensitive label-free enrichment of cells with epithelial phenotypes in blood and offers opportunities to detect and characterize CTCs undergoing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitioning and lineage plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Magnusson
- Department
of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Lund SE-22100, Sweden
| | - Per Augustsson
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Lund SE-22100, Sweden
| | - Eva Undvall Anand
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Lund SE-22100, Sweden
| | - Andreas Lenshof
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Lund SE-22100, Sweden
| | - Andreas Josefsson
- Institute
of Clinical Sciences, Department of Urology, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg SE-41345, Sweden
- Wallenberg
Center for Molecular Medicine, Umeå
University, Umeå SE-90187, Sweden
- Department
of Urology and Andrology, Institute of Surgery and Perioperative Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå SE-90185, Sweden
| | - Karin Welén
- Institute
of Clinical Sciences, Department of Urology, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg SE-41345, Sweden
| | - Anders Bjartell
- Department
of Translational Cancer Research, Lund University, Lund SE-22100, Sweden
| | - Yvonne Ceder
- Department
of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund SE-22100, Sweden
| | - Hans Lilja
- Department
of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Lund SE-22100, Sweden
- Department
of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Surgery (Urology), and Medicine
(GU Oncology), Memorial Sloan-Kettering
Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - Thomas Laurell
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Lund SE-22100, Sweden
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4
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Zou J, Chen Q, He Y, Pan Y, Zhao H, Shi J, Wei Z, Yu S, Zhao Y, Han X, Lu Y, Chen W. Systematic optimization and evaluation of culture conditions for the construction of circulating tumor cell clusters using breast cancer cell lines. BMC Cancer 2024; 24:507. [PMID: 38654231 PMCID: PMC11036701 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-12214-9] [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] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Circulating tumor cell (CTC) clusters play a critical role in carcinoma metastasis. However, the rarity of CTC clusters and the limitations of capture techniques have retarded the research progress. In vitro CTC clusters model can help to further understand the biological properties of CTC clusters and their clinical significance. Therefore, it is necessary to establish reliable in vitro methodological models to form CTC clusters whose biological characteristics are very similar to clinical CTC clusters. METHODS The assays of immunofluorescence, transmission electron microscopy, EdU incorporation, cell adhension and microfluidic chips were used. The experimental metastasis model in mice was used. RESULTS We systematically optimized the culture methods to form in vitro CTC clusters model, and more importantly, evaluated it with reference to the biological capabilities of reported clinical CTC clusters. In vitro CTC clusters exhibited a high degree of similarity to the reported pathological characteristics of CTC clusters isolated from patients at different stages of tumor metastasis, including the appearance morphology, size, adhesive and tight junctions-associated proteins, and other indicators of CTC clusters. Furthermore, in vivo experiments also demonstrated that the CTC clusters had an enhanced ability to grow and metastasize compared to single CTC. CONCLUSIONS The study provides a reliable model to help to obtain comparatively stable and qualified CTC clusters in vitro, propelling the studies on tumor metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jueyao Zou
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Qiong Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yong He
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yanhong Pan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Joint International Research Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Regenerative Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Han Zhao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Junfeng Shi
- Department of Oncology, Nanjing First Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhonghong Wei
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Joint International Research Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Regenerative Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Suyun Yu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Joint International Research Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Regenerative Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yang Zhao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Joint International Research Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Regenerative Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Xin Han
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing, China
| | - Yin Lu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing, China.
- Jiangsu Joint International Research Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Regenerative Medicine, Nanjing, China.
| | - Wenxing Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing, China.
- Jiangsu Joint International Research Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Regenerative Medicine, Nanjing, China.
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5
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Vora N, Shekar P, Hanulia T, Esmail M, Patra A, Georgakoudi I. Deep learning-enabled detection of rare circulating tumor cell clusters in whole blood using label-free, flow cytometry. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:2237-2252. [PMID: 38456773 PMCID: PMC11019838 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00694h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Metastatic tumors have poor prognoses for progression-free and overall survival for all cancer patients. Rare circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and rarer circulating tumor cell clusters (CTCCs) are potential biomarkers of metastatic growth, with CTCCs representing an increased risk factor for metastasis. Current detection platforms are optimized for ex vivo detection of CTCs only. Microfluidic chips and size exclusion methods have been proposed for CTCC detection; however, they lack in vivo utility and real-time monitoring capability. Confocal backscatter and fluorescence flow cytometry (BSFC) has been used for label-free detection of CTCCs in whole blood based on machine learning (ML) enabled peak classification. Here, we expand to a deep-learning (DL)-based, peak detection and classification model to detect CTCCs in whole blood data. We demonstrate that DL-based BSFC has a low false alarm rate of 0.78 events per min with a high Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.943 between detected events and expected events. DL-based BSFC of whole blood maintains a detection purity of 72% and a sensitivity of 35.3% for both homotypic and heterotypic CTCCs starting at a minimum size of two cells. We also demonstrate through artificial spiking studies that DL-based BSFC is sensitive to changes in the number of CTCCs present in the samples and does not add variability in detection beyond the expected variability from Poisson statistics. The performance established by DL-based BSFC motivates its use for in vivo detection of CTCCs. Using transfer learning, we additionally validate DL-based BSFC on blood samples from different species and cancer cell types. Further developments of label-free BSFC to enhance throughput could lead to critical applications in the clinical detection of CTCCs and ex vivo isolation of CTCC from whole blood with minimal disruption and processing steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilay Vora
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
| | - Prashant Shekar
- Department of Mathematics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL, 32114, USA
| | - Taras Hanulia
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
- Institute of Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Michael Esmail
- Tufts Comparative Medicine Services, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Abani Patra
- Data Intensive Studies Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Irene Georgakoudi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
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6
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Sayed ZS, Khattap MG, Madkour MA, Yasen NS, Elbary HA, Elsayed RA, Abdelkawy DA, Wadan AHS, Omar I, Nafady MH. Circulating tumor cells clusters and their role in Breast cancer metastasis; a review of literature. Discov Oncol 2024; 15:94. [PMID: 38557916 PMCID: PMC10984915 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-024-00949-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is a significant and deadly threat to women globally. Moreover, Breast cancer metastasis is a complicated process involving multiple biological stages, which is considered a substantial cause of death, where cancer cells spread from the original tumor to other organs in the body-representing the primary mortality factor. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are cancer cells detached from the primary or metastatic tumor and enter the bloodstream, allowing them to establish new metastatic sites. CTCs can travel alone or in groups called CTC clusters. Studies have shown that CTC clusters have more potential for metastasis and a poorer prognosis than individual CTCs in breast cancer patients. However, our understanding of CTC clusters' formation, structure, function, and detection is still limited. This review summarizes the current knowledge of CTC clusters' biological properties, isolation, and prognostic significance in breast cancer. It also highlights the challenges and future directions for research and clinical application of CTC clusters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeinab S Sayed
- Faculty of Applied Medical Science, Misr University for Science and Technology, 26Th of July Corridor, 6Th of October, Giza Governorate, Postal Code: 77, Egypt
| | - Mohamed G Khattap
- Technology of Radiology and Medical Imaging Program, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences Technology, Galala University, Suez, 435611, Egypt
| | | | - Noha S Yasen
- Radiology and Imaging Technology Department, Faculty of Applied Health Science Technology, Delta University for Science and Technology, Gamasa, Al Mansurah, Egypt
| | - Hanan A Elbary
- Faculty of Applied Medical Science, Misr University for Science and Technology, 26Th of July Corridor, 6Th of October, Giza Governorate, Postal Code: 77, Egypt
| | - Reem A Elsayed
- Faculty of Applied Medical Science, Misr University for Science and Technology, 26Th of July Corridor, 6Th of October, Giza Governorate, Postal Code: 77, Egypt
| | - Dalia A Abdelkawy
- Faculty of Applied Medical Science, Misr University for Science and Technology, 26Th of July Corridor, 6Th of October, Giza Governorate, Postal Code: 77, Egypt
| | | | - Islam Omar
- Faculty of Pharmacy, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt
| | - Mohamed H Nafady
- Radiation Sciences Department, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
- Faculty of Applied Health Science Technology, Misr University for Science and Technology, 6th of october, Egypt.
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7
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Allen TA. The Role of Circulating Tumor Cells as a Liquid Biopsy for Cancer: Advances, Biology, Technical Challenges, and Clinical Relevance. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1377. [PMID: 38611055 PMCID: PMC11010957 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16071377] [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: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide, with metastasis significantly contributing to its lethality. The metastatic spread of tumor cells, primarily through the bloodstream, underscores the importance of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in oncological research. As a critical component of liquid biopsies, CTCs offer a non-invasive and dynamic window into tumor biology, providing invaluable insights into cancer dissemination, disease progression, and response to treatment. This review article delves into the recent advancements in CTC research, highlighting their emerging role as a biomarker in various cancer types. We explore the latest technologies and methods for CTC isolation and detection, alongside novel approaches to characterizing their biology through genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and epigenetic profiling. Additionally, we examine the clinical implementation of these findings, assessing how CTCs are transforming the landscape of cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and management. By offering a comprehensive overview of current developments and potential future directions, this review underscores the significance of CTCs in enhancing our understanding of cancer and in shaping personalized therapeutic strategies, particularly for patients with metastatic disease.
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8
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Liu Y, Zhao W, Hodgson J, Egan M, Cooper Pope CN, Hicks G, Nikolinakos PG, Mao L. CTC-Race: Single-Cell Motility Assay of Circulating Tumor Cells from Metastatic Lung Cancer Patients. ACS NANO 2024; 18:8683-8693. [PMID: 38465942 PMCID: PMC10976960 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c09450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Distinctive subpopulations of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) with increased motility are considered to possess enhanced tumor-initiating potential and contribute to metastasis. Single-cell analysis of the migratory CTCs may increase our understanding of the metastatic process, yet most studies are limited by technical challenges associated with the isolation and characterization of these cells due to their extreme scarcity and heterogeneity. We report a microfluidic method based on CTCs' chemotactic motility, termed as CTC-Race assay, that can analyze migrating CTCs from metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with advanced tumor stages and enable concurrent biophysical and biochemical characterization of them with single-cell resolution. Analyses of motile CTCs in the CTC-Race assay, in synergy with other single cell characterization techniques, could provide insights into cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Liu
- School
of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Wujun Zhao
- FCS
Technology, LLC, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Jamie Hodgson
- University
Cancer and Blood Center, LLC, Athens, Georgia 30607, United States
| | - Mary Egan
- University
Cancer and Blood Center, LLC, Athens, Georgia 30607, United States
| | | | - Glenda Hicks
- University
Cancer and Blood Center, LLC, Athens, Georgia 30607, United States
| | | | - Leidong Mao
- School
of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
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9
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He K, Baniasad M, Kwon H, Caval T, Xu G, Lebrilla C, Hommes DW, Bertozzi C. Decoding the glycoproteome: a new frontier for biomarker discovery in cancer. J Hematol Oncol 2024; 17:12. [PMID: 38515194 PMCID: PMC10958865 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-024-01532-x] [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: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer early detection and treatment response prediction continue to pose significant challenges. Cancer liquid biopsies focusing on detecting circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and DNA (ctDNA) have shown enormous potential due to their non-invasive nature and the implications in precision cancer management. Recently, liquid biopsy has been further expanded to profile glycoproteins, which are the products of post-translational modifications of proteins and play key roles in both normal and pathological processes, including cancers. The advancements in chemical and mass spectrometry-based technologies and artificial intelligence-based platforms have enabled extensive studies of cancer and organ-specific changes in glycans and glycoproteins through glycomics and glycoproteomics. Glycoproteomic analysis has emerged as a promising tool for biomarker discovery and development in early detection of cancers and prediction of treatment efficacy including response to immunotherapies. These biomarkers could play a crucial role in aiding in early intervention and personalized therapy decisions. In this review, we summarize the significant advance in cancer glycoproteomic biomarker studies and the promise and challenges in integration into clinical practice to improve cancer patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai He
- James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA.
| | | | - Hyunwoo Kwon
- James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA
| | | | - Gege Xu
- InterVenn Biosciences, South San Francisco, USA
| | - Carlito Lebrilla
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, UC Davis Health, Sacramento, USA
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10
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Song Q, Liu H, Wang W, Chen C, Cao Y, Chen B, Cai B, He R. Carboxyl graphene modified PEDOT:PSS organic electrochemical transistor for in situ detection of cancer cell morphology. NANOSCALE 2024; 16:3631-3640. [PMID: 38276969 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr06190f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells in human peripheral blood play an important role in cancer metastasis. In addition to the size-based and antibody-based capture and separation of cancer cells, their electrical characterization is important for rare cell detection, which can prove fatal in point-of-care testing. Herein, an organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) biosensor made of solution-gated carboxyl graphene mixed with PEDOT:PSS for the detection of cancer cells in situ is reported. Carboxyl graphene was used in this work to modulate cancer cell morphology, which differs significantly from normal blood cells, to achieve rare cancer cell detection. When the concentration of carboxyl graphene mixed in PEDOT:PSS was increased from 0 to 5 mg mL-1, the cancer cell surface area increased from 218 μm2 to 530 μm2, respectively. A change in cell morphology was also detected by the OECT. Negative charges in the cancer cells induced a positive shift in gate voltage, which was approximately 40 mV for spherical-shaped cells. When the cell surface area increased, transfer curves of transistor revealed a negative shift in gate voltage. Therefore, the sensor can be used for in situ detection of cancer cell morphology during the cell capture process, which can be used to identify whether the captured cells are deformable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingyuan Song
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Research & Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Chemical Materials and Devices of Ministry of Education, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China.
| | - Hongni Liu
- Wuhan Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Weiyi Wang
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Research & Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Chemical Materials and Devices of Ministry of Education, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China.
| | - Chaohui Chen
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Research & Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Chemical Materials and Devices of Ministry of Education, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China.
| | - Yiping Cao
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Research & Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Chemical Materials and Devices of Ministry of Education, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China.
| | - Bolei Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health Effects of Persistent Toxic Substances, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China.
| | - Bo Cai
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health Effects of Persistent Toxic Substances, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China.
| | - Rongxiang He
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Research & Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Chemical Materials and Devices of Ministry of Education, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China.
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11
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Wu Z, Huang D, Wang J, Zhao Y, Sun W, Shen X. Engineering Heterogeneous Tumor Models for Biomedical Applications. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2304160. [PMID: 37946674 PMCID: PMC10767453 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202304160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Tumor tissue engineering holds great promise for replicating the physiological and behavioral characteristics of tumors in vitro. Advances in this field have led to new opportunities for studying the tumor microenvironment and exploring potential anti-cancer therapeutics. However, the main obstacle to the widespread adoption of tumor models is the poor understanding and insufficient reconstruction of tumor heterogeneity. In this review, the current progress of engineering heterogeneous tumor models is discussed. First, the major components of tumor heterogeneity are summarized, which encompasses various signaling pathways, cell proliferations, and spatial configurations. Then, contemporary approaches are elucidated in tumor engineering that are guided by fundamental principles of tumor biology, and the potential of a bottom-up approach in tumor engineering is highlighted. Additionally, the characterization approaches and biomedical applications of tumor models are discussed, emphasizing the significant role of engineered tumor models in scientific research and clinical trials. Lastly, the challenges of heterogeneous tumor models in promoting oncology research and tumor therapy are described and key directions for future research are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuhao Wu
- Department of Rheumatology and ImmunologyNanjing Drum Tower HospitalSchool of Biological Science and Medical EngineeringSoutheast UniversityNanjing210096China
| | - Danqing Huang
- Department of Rheumatology and ImmunologyNanjing Drum Tower HospitalSchool of Biological Science and Medical EngineeringSoutheast UniversityNanjing210096China
| | - Jinglin Wang
- Department of Rheumatology and ImmunologyNanjing Drum Tower HospitalSchool of Biological Science and Medical EngineeringSoutheast UniversityNanjing210096China
| | - Yuanjin Zhao
- Department of Rheumatology and ImmunologyNanjing Drum Tower HospitalSchool of Biological Science and Medical EngineeringSoutheast UniversityNanjing210096China
- Department of Gastrointestinal SurgeryThe First Affiliated HospitalWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhou325035China
| | - Weijian Sun
- Department of Gastrointestinal SurgeryThe Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhou325027China
| | - Xian Shen
- Department of Rheumatology and ImmunologyNanjing Drum Tower HospitalSchool of Biological Science and Medical EngineeringSoutheast UniversityNanjing210096China
- Department of Gastrointestinal SurgeryThe First Affiliated HospitalWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhou325035China
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12
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Teng T, Yu M. Establishing Single-Cell Clones from In Vitro-Cultured Circulating Tumor Cells. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2752:119-126. [PMID: 38194031 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3621-3_8] [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: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Cancer is a common health problem with more than 90% of deaths due to metastases. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) contain precursors that can initiate metastases. However, CTCs are rare, heterogeneous, and difficult to expand in culture. We have previously created CTC-derived cell lines from stage IV breast cancer patients. These CTC lines were used to establish single-cell CTC clones using flow cytometry cell sorting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teng Teng
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Min Yu
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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13
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Zhang R, Cao S, Yang S, Tang X, Sun P, Mao Y, Chen G, Weng W, Zhu X. Metabolic Glycoengineering-Programmed Nondestructive Capture of Circulating Tumor Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:59236-59245. [PMID: 38096273 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c15879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are the "seeds" for malignant tumor metastasis, and they serve as an ideal target for minimally invasive tumor diagnosis. Abnormal glycolysis in tumor cells, characterized by glycometabolism disorder, has been reported as a universal phenomenon observed in various types of tumors. This provides a potential powerful tool for universal CTC capture. However, to the best of our knowledge, no metabolic glycoengineering-based CTC capture strategies have been reported. Here, we proposed a nondestructive CTC capture method based on metabolic glycoengineering and a nanotechnology-based proximity effect, allowing for highly specific, sensitive, and universal CTC capture. To achieve this goal, cells are first labeled with DNA tags through metabolic glycoengineering and then captured through a DNA tetrahedra-functionalized dual-tentacle magnetic nanodevice. Due to the difference in metabolic performance, only tumor cells are labeled with more densely packed DNA tags and captured through enhanced intermolecular interaction mediated by the proximity effect. In summary, we have constructed a versatile platform for nondestructive CTC capture, offering a novel perspective for the application of CTC liquid biopsy in tumor diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runchi Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200072, P. R. China
| | - Siyu Cao
- Center for Molecular Recognition and Biosensing, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, P. R. China
| | - Shiqi Yang
- Center for Molecular Recognition and Biosensing, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, P. R. China
| | - Xiaochen Tang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200072, P. R. China
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, P. R. China
| | - Pei Sun
- Center for Molecular Recognition and Biosensing, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, P. R. China
| | - Yichun Mao
- Center for Molecular Recognition and Biosensing, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, P. R. China
| | - Guifang Chen
- Center for Molecular Recognition and Biosensing, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, P. R. China
| | - Wenhao Weng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Children's Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200062, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoli Zhu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200072, P. R. China
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14
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Yamashita M, Tamamitsu M, Kirisako H, Goda Y, Chen X, Hattori K, Ota S. High-Throughput 3D Imaging Flow Cytometry of Suspended Adherent 3D Cell Cultures. SMALL METHODS 2023:e2301318. [PMID: 38133483 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202301318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
3D cell cultures are indispensable in recapitulating in vivo environments. Among the many 3D culture methods, culturing adherent cells on hydrogel beads to form spheroid-like structures is a powerful strategy for maintaining high cell viability and functions in the adherent states. However, high-throughput, scalable technologies for 3D imaging of individual cells cultured on the hydrogel scaffolds are lacking. This study reports the development of a high throughput, scalable 3D imaging flow cytometry platform for analyzing spheroid models. This platform is realized by integrating a single objective fluorescence light-sheet microscopy with a microfluidic device that combines hydrodynamic and acoustofluidic focusing techniques. This integration enabled unprecedentedly high-throughput and scalable optofluidic 3D imaging, processing 1310 spheroids consisting of 28 117 cells min-1 . The large dataset obtained enables precise quantification and comparison of the nuclear morphology of adhering and suspended cells, revealing that the adhering cells have smaller nuclei with less rounded surfaces. This platform's high throughput, robustness, and precision for analyzing the morphology of subcellular structures in 3D culture models hold promising potential for various biomedical analyses, including image-based phenotypic screening of drugs with spheroids or organoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minato Yamashita
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8904, Japan
| | - Miu Tamamitsu
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8904, Japan
| | - Hiromi Kirisako
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8904, Japan
| | - Yuki Goda
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8904, Japan
| | - Xiaoyao Chen
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8904, Japan
| | - Kazuki Hattori
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8904, Japan
| | - Sadao Ota
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8904, Japan
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15
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Magnusson C, Augustsson P, Anand EU, Lenshof A, Josefsson A, Welén K, Bjartell A, Ceder Y, Lilja H, Laurell T. Acoustic enrichment of heterogenous circulating tumor cells and clusters from patients with metastatic prostate cancer. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.12.04.23299128. [PMID: 38106097 PMCID: PMC10723509 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.04.23299128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Background There are important unmet clinical needs to develop cell enrichment technologies to enable unbiased label-free isolation of both single cell and clusters of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) manifesting heterogeneous lineage specificity. Here, we report a pilot study based on microfluidic acoustophoresis enrichment of CTCs using the CellSearch CTC assay as a reference modality. Methods Acoustophoresis uses an ultrasonic standing wave field to separate cells based on biomechanical properties (size, density, and compressibility) resulting in inherently label-free and epitope-independent cell enrichment. Following red blood cell lysis and paraformaldehyde fixation, 6 mL of whole blood from 12 patients with metastatic prostate cancer and 20 healthy controls were processed with acoustophoresis and subsequent image cytometry. Results Acoustophoresis enabled enrichment and characterization of phenotypic CTCs (EpCAM+, Cytokeratin+, DAPI+, CD45-/CD66b-) in all patients with metastatic prostate cancer and detected CTC-clusters composed of only CTCs or heterogenous aggregates of CTCs clustered with various types of white blood cells in 9 out of 12 patients. By contrast, CellSearch did not detect any CTC-clusters, but detected comparable numbers of phenotypic CTCs as acoustophoresis, with trends of finding higher number of CTCs using acoustophoresis. Conclusion Our preliminary data indicate that acoustophoresis provides excellent possibilities to detect and characterize CTC-clusters as a putative marker of metastatic disease and outcomes. Moreover, acoustophoresis enables sensitive label-free enrichment of cells with epithelial phenotype in blood and offers opportunities to detect and characterize CTCs undergoing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitioning and lineage plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Per Augustsson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Andreas Lenshof
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Andreas Josefsson
- Intitute of Clinical Sciences, Department of Urology, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg Sweden
- Wallenberg Center for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Urology and Andrology, Institute of surgery and perioperative Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Karin Welén
- Intitute of Clinical Sciences, Department of Urology, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg Sweden
| | - Anders Bjartell
- Department of Translational Cancer Research, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Yvonne Ceder
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Hans Lilja
- Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Surgery (Urology), and Medicine (GU Oncology), Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, NY, U.S.A
| | - Thomas Laurell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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16
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Nasr MM, Lynch CC. How circulating tumor cluster biology contributes to the metastatic cascade: from invasion to dissemination and dormancy. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2023; 42:1133-1146. [PMID: 37442876 PMCID: PMC10713810 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-023-10124-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are known to be prognostic for metastatic relapse and are detected in patients as solitary cells or cell clusters. Circulating tumor cell clusters (CTC clusters) have been observed clinically for decades and are of significantly higher metastatic potential compared to solitary CTCs. Recent studies suggest distinct differences in CTC cluster biology regarding invasion and survival in circulation. However, differences regarding dissemination, dormancy, and reawakening require more investigations compared to solitary CTCs. Here, we review the current state of CTC cluster research and consider their clinical significance. In addition, we discuss the concept of collective invasion by CTC clusters and molecular evidence as to how cluster survival in circulation compares to that of solitary CTCs. Molecular differences between solitary and clustered CTCs during dormancy and reawakening programs will also be discussed. We also highlight future directions to advance our current understanding of CTC cluster biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mostafa M Nasr
- Tumor Biology Department, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
- Cancer Biology Ph.D. Program, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Conor C Lynch
- Tumor Biology Department, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA.
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17
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Murakami T, Teratani H, Aoki D, Noguchi M, Tsugane M, Suzuki H. Single-cell trapping and retrieval in open microfluidics. iScience 2023; 26:108323. [PMID: 38026163 PMCID: PMC10656270 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Among various single-cell analysis platforms, hydrodynamic cell trapping systems remain relevant because of their versatility. Among those, deterministic hydrodynamic cell-trapping systems have received significant interest; however, their applications are limited because trapped cells are kept within the closed microchannel, thus prohibiting access to external cell-picking devices. In this study, we develop a hydrodynamic cell-trapping system in an open microfluidics architecture to allow external access to trapped cells. A technique to render only the inside of a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannel hydrophilic is developed, which allows the precise confinement of spontaneous capillary flow in the open-type microchannel with a width on the order of several tens of micrometers. Efficient trapping of single beads and single cells is achieved, in which trapped cells can be retrieved via automated robotic pipetting. The present system can facilitate the development of new single-cell analytical systems by bridging between microfluidic devices and macro-scale apparatus used in conventional biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoki Murakami
- Department of Precision Mechanics, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Chuo University, Kasuga 1-13-27, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8551, Japan
| | - Hiroto Teratani
- Department of Precision Mechanics, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Chuo University, Kasuga 1-13-27, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8551, Japan
| | - Dai’ichiro Aoki
- Aeternus Co., Ltd, Minamidai 2-1-14, Fujimino, Saitama 356-0036, Japan
| | - Masao Noguchi
- Caravell Co., Ltd, Surugadai 1-29-39, Funabashi, Chiba 273-0862, Japan
| | - Mamiko Tsugane
- Department of Precision Mechanics, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Chuo University, Kasuga 1-13-27, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8551, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Suzuki
- Department of Precision Mechanics, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Chuo University, Kasuga 1-13-27, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8551, Japan
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18
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Capuozzo M, Ferrara F, Santorsola M, Zovi A, Ottaiano A. Circulating Tumor Cells as Predictive and Prognostic Biomarkers in Solid Tumors. Cells 2023; 12:2590. [PMID: 37998325 PMCID: PMC10670669 DOI: 10.3390/cells12222590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have emerged as pivotal biomarkers with significant predictive and prognostic implications in solid tumors. Their presence in peripheral blood offers a non-invasive window into the dynamic landscape of cancer progression and treatment response. This narrative literature review synthesizes the current state of knowledge surrounding the multifaceted role of CTCs in predicting clinical outcomes and informing prognosis across a spectrum of solid tumor malignancies. This review delves into the evolving landscape of CTC-based research, emphasizing their potential as early indicators of disease recurrence, metastatic potential, and therapeutic resistance. Moreover, we have underscored the dynamic nature of CTCs and their implications for personalized medicine. A descriptive and critical analysis of CTC detection methodologies, their clinical relevance, and their associated challenges is also presented, with a focus on recent advancements and emerging technologies. Furthermore, we examine the integration of CTC-based liquid biopsies into clinical practice, highlighting their role in guiding treatment decisions, monitoring treatment efficacy, and facilitating precision oncology. This review highlights the transformative impact of CTCs as predictive and prognostic biomarkers in the management of solid tumors by promoting a deeper understanding of the clinical relevance of CTCs and their role in advancing the field of oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mariachiara Santorsola
- Istituto Nazionale Tumori di Napoli, IRCCS “G. Pascale”, Via M. Semmola, 80131 Naples, Italy;
| | - Andrea Zovi
- Ministry of Health, Viale Giorgio Ribotta 5, 00144 Rome, Italy;
| | - Alessandro Ottaiano
- Istituto Nazionale Tumori di Napoli, IRCCS “G. Pascale”, Via M. Semmola, 80131 Naples, Italy;
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19
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Ogut MG, Ma P, Gupta R, Hoerner CR, Fan AC, El-Kaffas AN, Durmus NG. Automated Image Analysis for Characterization of Circulating Tumor Cells and Clusters Sorted by Magnetic Levitation. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2023; 7:e2300109. [PMID: 37462226 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202300109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Magnetic levitation-based sorting technologies have revolutionized the detection and isolation of rare cells, including circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor cell clusters (CTCCs). Manual counting and quantification of these cells are prone to time-consuming processes, human error, and inter-observer variability, particularly challenging when heterogeneous cell types in 3D clusters are present. To overcome these challenges, we developed "Fastcount," an in-house MATLAB-based algorithm for precise, automated quantification and phenotypic characterization of CTCs and CTCCs, in both 2D and 3D. Fastcount is 120 times faster than manual counting and produces reliable results with a ±7.3% deviation compared to a trained laboratory technician. By analyzing 400 GB of fluorescence imaging data, we showed that Fastcount outperforms manual counting and commercial software when cells are aggregated in 3D or staining artifacts are present, delivering more accurate results. We further employed Fastcount for automated analysis of 3D image stacks obtained from CTCCs isolated from colorectal adenocarcinoma and renal cell carcinoma blood samples. Interestingly, we observed a highly heterogeneous spatial cellular composition within CTCCs, even among clusters from the same patient. Overall, Fastcount can be employed for various applications with lab-chip devices, such as CTC detection, CTCC analysis in 3D and cell detection in biosensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet Giray Ogut
- Canary Center for Cancer Early Detection, Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
- School of Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Peng Ma
- Canary Center for Cancer Early Detection, Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
| | - Rakhi Gupta
- Canary Center for Cancer Early Detection, Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
| | - Christian R Hoerner
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Alice C Fan
- Canary Center for Cancer Early Detection, Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Ahmed Nagy El-Kaffas
- Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Naside Gozde Durmus
- Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, 94305, USA
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20
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Wang S, Xu Q, Zhang Z, Chen S, Jiang Y, Feng Z, Wang D, Jiang X. Reverse flow enhanced inertia pinched flow fractionation. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:4324-4333. [PMID: 37702391 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00473b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Particle separation plays a critical role in many biochemical analyses. In this article, we report a method of reverse flow enhanced inertia pinched flow fractionation (RF-iPFF) for particle separation. RF-iPFF separates particles by size based on the flow-induced inertial lift, and in the abruptly broadened segment, reverse flow is utilized to further enhance the separation distance between particles of different sizes. The separation performance can be significantly improved by reverse flow. Generally, compared with the case without reverse flow, this RF-iPFF technique can increase the particle throughput by about 10 times. To demonstrate the advantages of RF-iPFF, RF-iPFF was compared with traditional iPFF through a control experiment. RF-iPFF consistently outperformed iPFF across various conditions we studied. In addition, we use tumor cells spiked into the human whole blood to evaluate the separation performance of RF-iPFF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saijie Wang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Smart Healthcare Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Biomaterials, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, No. 1088 Xueyuan Rd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
| | - Quanchen Xu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Smart Healthcare Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Biomaterials, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, No. 1088 Xueyuan Rd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
| | - Zhihan Zhang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Smart Healthcare Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Biomaterials, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, No. 1088 Xueyuan Rd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
| | - Shengbo Chen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Smart Healthcare Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Biomaterials, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, No. 1088 Xueyuan Rd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
| | - Yizhou Jiang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Smart Healthcare Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Biomaterials, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, No. 1088 Xueyuan Rd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Zhuowei Feng
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Smart Healthcare Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Biomaterials, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, No. 1088 Xueyuan Rd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
| | - Dou Wang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Smart Healthcare Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Biomaterials, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, No. 1088 Xueyuan Rd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
| | - Xingyu Jiang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Smart Healthcare Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Biomaterials, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, No. 1088 Xueyuan Rd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
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21
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Aghaamoo M, Cardenas-Benitez B, Lee AP. A High-Throughput Microfluidic Cell Sorter Using a Three-Dimensional Coupled Hydrodynamic-Dielectrophoretic Pre-Focusing Module. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:1813. [PMID: 37893250 PMCID: PMC10609158 DOI: 10.3390/mi14101813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is a powerful tool for label-free sorting of cells, even those with subtle differences in morphological and dielectric properties. Nevertheless, a major limitation is that most existing DEP techniques can efficiently sort cells only at low throughputs (<1 mL h-1). Here, we demonstrate that the integration of a three-dimensional (3D) coupled hydrodynamic-DEP cell pre-focusing module upstream of the main DEP sorting region enables cell sorting with a 10-fold increase in throughput compared to conventional DEP approaches. To better understand the key principles and requirements for high-throughput cell separation, we present a comprehensive theoretical model to study the scaling of hydrodynamic and electrostatic forces on cells at high flow rate regimes. Based on the model, we show that the critical cell-to-electrode distance needs to be ≤10 µm for efficient cell sorting in our proposed microfluidic platform, especially at flow rates ≥ 1 mL h-1. Based on those findings, a computational fluid dynamics model and particle tracking analysis were developed to find optimum operation parameters (e.g., flow rate ratios and electric fields) of the coupled hydrodynamic-DEP 3D focusing module. Using these optimum parameters, we experimentally demonstrate live/dead K562 cell sorting at rates as high as 10 mL h-1 (>150,000 cells min-1) with 90% separation purity, 85% cell recovery, and no negative impact on cell viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Aghaamoo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; (M.A.); (B.C.-B.)
- Center for Advanced Design & Manufacturing of Integrated Microfluidics (CADMIM), University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Braulio Cardenas-Benitez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; (M.A.); (B.C.-B.)
- Center for Advanced Design & Manufacturing of Integrated Microfluidics (CADMIM), University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Abraham P. Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; (M.A.); (B.C.-B.)
- Center for Advanced Design & Manufacturing of Integrated Microfluidics (CADMIM), University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
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22
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Nishida K, Wang G, Kobatake E, Mie M. Sensitive Detection of Tumor Cells Using Protein Nanoparticles with Multiple Displays of DNA Aptamers and Bioluminescent Reporters. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2023; 9:5260-5269. [PMID: 37642536 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.3c00712] [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: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Simple and effective detection methods for circulating tumor cells are essential for early detection and progression monitoring of tumors. The use of DNA aptamer and bioluminescence is expected to be a key tool for the simple, effective, and sensitive detection of tumor cells. Herein, we designed multifunctional protein nanoparticles for the detection of tumor cells using DNA aptamer and bioluminescence. Fusion proteins (ELP-poly(d)-POIs), composed of elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) fused with protein of interests (POIs) via poly(aspartic acid) (poly(d)), formed the protein nanoparticles based on the temperature responsivity of ELP sequences, leading to multiply displayed POIs on the protein nanoparticles. In the present study, we focused on porcine circovirus type 2 replication initiation protein (Rep), which covalently conjugated with DNA aptamers, and NanoLuc luciferase (Nluc), which emitted a strong bioluminescence, as POIs. ELP-poly(d)-Rep and ELP-poly(d)-Nluc were constructed and formed the protein nanoparticles with multiply displayed Nluc and Rep (DNA aptamer) that amplified the bioluminescence signal and tumor recognition ability. Mucin-1 (MUC1)-overexpressing human breast tumor MCF7 cells and MUC1-recognizing aptamer (MUC1 aptamer) were selected as models. The MUC1 aptamer-conjugated protein nanoparticles exhibited a 13.7-fold higher bioluminescence signal to MCF-7 cells than to human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells, which express low levels of MUC1. Furthermore, the protein nanoparticles could detect up to 70.7 cells/mL of MCF-7 cells from a cell suspension containing HEK-293. The protein nanoparticles with multiple Rep and Nluc show a great potential as a material for detecting CTCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kei Nishida
- Department of Life Science and Technology, School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8502, Japan
| | - Gaoyang Wang
- Department of Life Science and Technology, School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8502, Japan
| | - Eiry Kobatake
- Department of Life Science and Technology, School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8502, Japan
| | - Masayasu Mie
- Department of Life Science and Technology, School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8502, Japan
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23
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Yaghoubi Naei V, Bordhan P, Mirakhorli F, Khorrami M, Shrestha J, Nazari H, Kulasinghe A, Ebrahimi Warkiani M. Advances in novel strategies for isolation, characterization, and analysis of CTCs and ctDNA. Ther Adv Med Oncol 2023; 15:17588359231192401. [PMID: 37692363 PMCID: PMC10486235 DOI: 10.1177/17588359231192401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade, the detection and analysis of liquid biopsy biomarkers such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) have advanced significantly. They have received recognition for their clinical usefulness in detecting cancer at an early stage, monitoring disease, and evaluating treatment response. The emergence of liquid biopsy has been a helpful development, as it offers a minimally invasive, rapid, real-time monitoring, and possible alternative to traditional tissue biopsies. In resource-limited settings, the ideal platform for liquid biopsy should not only extract more CTCs or ctDNA from a minimal sample volume but also accurately represent the molecular heterogeneity of the patient's disease. This review covers novel strategies and advancements in CTC and ctDNA-based liquid biopsy platforms, including microfluidic applications and comprehensive analysis of molecular complexity. We discuss these systems' operational principles and performance efficiencies, as well as future opportunities and challenges for their implementation in clinical settings. In addition, we emphasize the importance of integrated platforms that incorporate machine learning and artificial intelligence in accurate liquid biopsy detection systems, which can greatly improve cancer management and enable precision diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vahid Yaghoubi Naei
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, Frazer Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Pritam Bordhan
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Faculty of Science, Institute for Biomedical Materials & Devices, University of Technology Sydney, Australia
| | - Fatemeh Mirakhorli
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Motahare Khorrami
- Immunology Research Center, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Jesus Shrestha
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Hojjatollah Nazari
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Arutha Kulasinghe
- Faculty of Medicine, Frazer Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Majid Ebrahimi Warkiani
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, 1, Broadway, Ultimo New South Wales 2007, Australia
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24
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Haerinck J, Goossens S, Berx G. The epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity landscape: principles of design and mechanisms of regulation. Nat Rev Genet 2023; 24:590-609. [PMID: 37169858 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-023-00601-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) enables cells to interconvert between several states across the epithelial-mesenchymal landscape, thereby acquiring hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotypic features. This plasticity is crucial for embryonic development and wound healing, but also underlies the acquisition of several malignant traits during cancer progression. Recent research using systems biology and single-cell profiling methods has provided novel insights into the main forces that shape EMP, which include the microenvironment, lineage specification and cell identity, and the genome. Additionally, key roles have emerged for hysteresis (cell memory) and cellular noise, which can drive stochastic transitions between cell states. Here, we review these forces and the distinct but interwoven layers of regulatory control that stabilize EMP states or facilitate epithelial-mesenchymal transitions (EMTs) and discuss the therapeutic potential of manipulating the EMP landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jef Haerinck
- Molecular and Cellular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Steven Goossens
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
- Unit for Translational Research in Oncology, Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Geert Berx
- Molecular and Cellular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium.
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25
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Yeh PY, Chen JY, Shen MY, Che TF, Lim SC, Wang J, Tsai WS, Frank CW, Huang CJ, Chang YC. Liposome-tethered supported lipid bilayer platform for capture and release of heterogeneous populations of circulating tumor cells. J Mater Chem B 2023; 11:8159-8169. [PMID: 37313622 DOI: 10.1039/d3tb00547j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Because of scarcity, vulnerability, and heterogeneity in the population of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), the CTC isolation system relying on immunoaffinity interaction exhibits inconsistent efficiencies for all types of cancers and even CTCs with different phenotypes in individuals. Moreover, releasing viable CTCs from an isolation system is of importance for molecular analysis and drug screening in precision medicine, which remains a challenge for current systems. In this work, a new CTC isolation microfluidic platform was developed and contains a coating of the antibody-conjugated liposome-tethered-supported lipid bilayer in a developed chaotic-mixing microfluidic system, referred to as the "LIPO-SLB" platform. The biocompatible, soft, laterally fluidic, and antifouling properties of the LIPO-SLB platform offer high CTC capture efficiency, viability, and selectivity. We successfully demonstrated the capability of the LIPO-SLB platform to recapitulate different cancer cell lines with different antigen expression levels. In addition, the captured CTCs in the LIPO-SLB platform can be detached by air foam to destabilize the physically assembled bilayer structures due to a large water/air interfacial area and strong surface tension. More importantly, the LIPO-SLB platform was constructed and used for the verification of clinical samples from 161 patients with different primary cancer types. The mean values of both single CTCs and CTC clusters correlated well with the cancer stages. Moreover, a considerable number of CTCs were isolated from patients' blood samples in the early/localized stages. The clinical validation demonstrated the enormous potential of the universal LIPO-SLB platform as a tool for prognostic and predictive purposes in precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Po-Ying Yeh
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, 128, Sec 2, Academic Rd., Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan.
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jia-Yang Chen
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, 128, Sec 2, Academic Rd., Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan.
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Mo-Yuan Shen
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, 128, Sec 2, Academic Rd., Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan.
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Ting-Fang Che
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, 128, Sec 2, Academic Rd., Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan.
| | - Syer Choon Lim
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, 128, Sec 2, Academic Rd., Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan.
| | - Jocelyn Wang
- The College, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Wen-Sy Tsai
- Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Science, Chang Gung University, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Curtis W Frank
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Chun-Jen Huang
- Department of Chemical & Materials Engineering, and NCU-Covestro Research Center, National Central University, Jhong-Li, Taoyuan 320, Taiwan.
- R&D Center for Membrane Technology, Chung Yuan Christian University, 200 Chung Pei Rd., Chung-Li City 32023, Taiwan
| | - Ying-Chih Chang
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, 128, Sec 2, Academic Rd., Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan.
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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26
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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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27
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Ma Y, Zhang J, Tian Y, Fu Y, Tian S, Li Q, Yang J, Zhang L. Zwitterionic microgel preservation platform for circulating tumor cells in whole blood specimen. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4958. [PMID: 37587113 PMCID: PMC10432405 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40668-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The immediate processing of whole blood specimen is required in circulating tumor cell-based liquid biopsy. Reliable blood specimen stabilization towards preserving circulating tumor cells can enable more extensive geographic sharing for precise rare-cell technology, but remains challenging due to the fragility and rarity of circulating tumor cells. Herein, we establish a zwitterionic magnetic microgel platform to stabilize whole blood specimen for long-term hypothermic preservation of model circulating tumor cells. We show in a cohort study of 20 cancer patients that blood samples can be preserved for up to 7 days without compromising circulating tumor cell viability and RNA integrity, thereby doubling the viable preservation duration. We demonstrate that the 7-day microgel-preserved blood specimen is able to reliably detect cancer-specific transcripts, similar to fresh blood specimens, while there are up/down expression regulation of 1243 genes in model circulating tumor cells that are preserved by commercial protectant. Mechanistically, we find that the zwitterionic microgel assembly counters the cold-induced excessive reactive oxygen species and platelet activation, as well as extracellular matrix loss-induced cell anoikis, to prevent circulating tumor cell loss in the whole blood sample. The present work could prove useful for the development of blood-based noninvasive diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiming Ma
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (MOE), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Breast Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060, China
| | - Yunqing Tian
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (MOE), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Yihao Fu
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (MOE), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Shu Tian
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (MOE), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Qingsi Li
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (MOE), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Jing Yang
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (MOE), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, China.
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (MOE), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, China.
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28
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Vora N, Shekar P, Esmail M, Patra A, Georgakoudi I. Deep Learning-Enabled, Detection of Rare Circulating Tumor Cell Clusters in Whole Blood Using Label-free, Flow Cytometry. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.01.551485. [PMID: 37577660 PMCID: PMC10418242 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.01.551485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Metastatic tumors have poor prognoses for progression-free and overall survival for all cancer patients. Rare circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and rarer circulating tumor cell clusters (CTCCs) are potential biomarkers of metastatic growth, with CTCCs representing an increased risk factor for metastasis. Current detection platforms are optimized for ex vivo detection of CTCs only. Microfluidic chips and size exclusion methods have been proposed for CTCC detection; however, they lack in vivo utility and real-time monitoring capability. Confocal backscatter and fluorescence flow cytometry (BSFC) has been used for label-free detection of CTCCs in whole blood based on machine learning (ML) enabled peak classification. Here, we expand to a deep-learning (DL) -based, peak detection and classification model to detect CTCCs in whole blood data. We demonstrate that DL-based BSFC has a low false alarm rate of 0.78 events/min with a high Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.943 between detected events and expected events. DL-based BSFC of whole blood maintains a detection purity of 72% and a sensitivity of 35.3% for both homotypic and heterotypic CTCCs starting at a minimum size of two cells. We also demonstrate through artificial spiking studies that DL-based BSFC is sensitive to changes in the number of CTCCs present in the samples and does not add variability in detection beyond the expected variability from Poisson statistics. The performance established by DL-based BSFC motivates its use for in vivo detection of CTCCs. Further developments of label-free BSFC to enhance throughput could lead to critical applications in the clinical detection of CTCCs and ex vivo isolation of CTCC from whole blood with minimal disruption and processing steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilay Vora
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Prashant Shekar
- Department of Mathematics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL, 32114, USA
| | - Michael Esmail
- Tufts Comparative Medicine Services, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
- # Current Affiliation: University of Massachusetts Amherst Animal Care Services, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Abani Patra
- Data Intensive Studies Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
- Department of Mathematics, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Irene Georgakoudi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
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29
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Eslami-S Z, Cortés-Hernández LE, Glogovitis I, Antunes-Ferreira M, D’Ambrosi S, Kurma K, Garima F, Cayrefourcq L, Best MG, Koppers-Lalic D, Wurdinger T, Alix-Panabières C. In vitro cross-talk between metastasis-competent circulating tumor cells and platelets in colon cancer: a malicious association during the harsh journey in the blood. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1209846. [PMID: 37601099 PMCID: PMC10433913 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1209846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Platelets are active players in hemostasis, coagulation and also tumorigenesis. The cross-talk between platelets and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) may have various pro-cancer effects, including promoting tumor growth, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), metastatic cell survival, adhesion, arrest and also pre-metastatic niche and metastasis formation. Interaction with CTCs might alter the platelet transcriptome. However, as CTCs are rare events, the cross-talk between CTCs and platelets is poorly understood. Here, we used our established colon CTC lines to investigate the colon CTC-platelet cross-talk in vitro and its impact on the behavior/phenotype of both cell types. Methods: We exposed platelets isolated from healthy donors to thrombin (positive control) or to conditioned medium from three CTC lines from one patient with colon cancer and then we monitored the morphological and protein expression changes by microscopy and flow cytometry. We then analyzed the transcriptome by RNA-sequencing of platelets indirectly (presence of a Transwell insert) co-cultured with the three CTC lines. We also quantified by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR the expression of genes related to EMT and cancer development in CTCs after direct co-culture (no Transwell insert) with platelets. Results: We observed morphological and transcriptomic changes in platelets upon exposure to CTC conditioned medium and indirect co-culture (secretome). Moreover, the expression levels of genes involved in EMT (p < 0.05) were decreased in CTCs co-cultured with platelets, but not of genes encoding mesenchymal markers (FN1 and SNAI2). The expression levels of genes involved in cancer invasiveness (MYC, VEGFB, IL33, PTGS2, and PTGER2) were increased. Conclusion: For the first time, we studied the CTC-platelet cross-talk using our unique colon CTC lines. Incubation with CTC conditioned medium led to platelet aggregation and activation, supporting the hypothesis that their interaction may contribute to preserve CTC integrity during their journey in the bloodstream. Moreover, co-culture with platelets influenced the expression of several genes involved in invasiveness and EMT maintenance in CTCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Eslami-S
- Laboratory of Rare Circulating Human Cells—University Medical Center of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- CREEC/CANECEV, MIVEGEC (CREES), Université de Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Montpellier, France
- European Liquid Biopsy Society (ELBS), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Luis Enrique Cortés-Hernández
- Laboratory of Rare Circulating Human Cells—University Medical Center of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- CREEC/CANECEV, MIVEGEC (CREES), Université de Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Montpellier, France
- European Liquid Biopsy Society (ELBS), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ilias Glogovitis
- Department of Neurosurgery, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Brain Tumor Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Mafalda Antunes-Ferreira
- Department of Neurosurgery, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Brain Tumor Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Silvia D’Ambrosi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Brain Tumor Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Keerthi Kurma
- Laboratory of Rare Circulating Human Cells—University Medical Center of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- CREEC/CANECEV, MIVEGEC (CREES), Université de Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Montpellier, France
- European Liquid Biopsy Society (ELBS), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Françoise Garima
- Laboratory of Rare Circulating Human Cells—University Medical Center of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- CREEC/CANECEV, MIVEGEC (CREES), Université de Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Montpellier, France
- European Liquid Biopsy Society (ELBS), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Laure Cayrefourcq
- Laboratory of Rare Circulating Human Cells—University Medical Center of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- CREEC/CANECEV, MIVEGEC (CREES), Université de Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Montpellier, France
- European Liquid Biopsy Society (ELBS), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Myron G. Best
- Department of Neurosurgery, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Brain Tumor Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Thomas Wurdinger
- Department of Neurosurgery, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Brain Tumor Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Catherine Alix-Panabières
- Laboratory of Rare Circulating Human Cells—University Medical Center of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- CREEC/CANECEV, MIVEGEC (CREES), Université de Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Montpellier, France
- European Liquid Biopsy Society (ELBS), Hamburg, Germany
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30
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Parvin D, Hashemi ZS, Shokati F, Mohammadpour Z, Bazargan V. Immunomagnetic Isolation of HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Cells Using a Microfluidic Device. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:21745-21754. [PMID: 37360498 PMCID: PMC10286087 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c01287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) as a tool for monitoring metastatic cancers, early diagnosis, and evaluation of disease prognosis paves the way toward personalized cancer treatment. Developing an effective, feasible, and low-cost method to facilitate CTC isolation is, therefore, vital. In the present study, we integrated magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with microfluidics and used them for the isolation of HER2-positive breast cancer cells. Iron oxide MNPs were synthesized and functionalized with the anti-HER2 antibody. The chemical conjugation was verified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering/zeta potential analysis. The specificity of the functionalized NPs for the separation of HER2-positive from HER2-negative cells was demonstrated in an off-chip test setting. The off-chip isolation efficiency was 59.38%. The efficiency of SK-BR-3 cell isolation using a microfluidic chip with a S-shaped microchannel was considerably enhanced to 96% (a flow rate of 0.5 mL/h) without chip clogging. Besides, the analysis time for the on-chip cell separation was 50% faster. The clear advantages of the present microfluidic system offer a competitive solution in clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delaram Parvin
- School
of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, North Amirabad, 1439957131 Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Sadat Hashemi
- ATMP
Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, No. 146, South Gandhi Street, Vanak Square, 1517964311 Tehran, Iran
| | - Farhad Shokati
- Biomaterials
and Tissue Engineering Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, No. 146, South Gandhi Street, Vanak Square, 1517964311 Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Mohammadpour
- Biomaterials
and Tissue Engineering Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, No. 146, South Gandhi Street, Vanak Square, 1517964311 Tehran, Iran
| | - Vahid Bazargan
- School
of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, North Amirabad, 1439957131 Tehran, Iran
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31
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Gong L, Cretella A, Lin Y. Microfluidic systems for particle capture and release: A review. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 236:115426. [PMID: 37276636 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115426] [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: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic technology has emerged as a promising tool in various applications, including biosensing, disease diagnosis, and environmental monitoring. One of the notable features of microfluidic devices is their ability to selectively capture and release specific cells, biomolecules, bacteria, and particles. Compared to traditional bulk analysis instruments, microfluidic capture-and-release platforms offer several advantages, such as contactless operation, label-free detection, high accuracy, good sensitivity, and minimal reagent requirements. However, despite significant efforts dedicated to developing innovative capture mechanisms in the past, the release and recovery efficiency of trapped particles have often been overlooked. Many previous studies have focused primarily on particle capture techniques and their efficiency, disregarding the crucial role of successful particle release for subsequent analysis. In reality, the ability to effectively release trapped particles is particularly essential to ensure ongoing, high-throughput analysis. To address this gap, this review aims to highlight the importance of both capture and release mechanisms in microfluidic systems and assess their effectiveness. The methods are classified into two categories: those based on physical principles and those using biochemical approaches. Furthermore, the review offers a comprehensive summary of recent applications of microfluidic platforms specifically designed for particle capture and release. It outlines the designs and performance of these devices, highlighting their advantages and limitations in various target applications and purposes. Finally, the review concludes with discussions on the current challenges faced in the field and presents potential future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyuan Gong
- Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, 02881, USA
| | - Andrew Cretella
- Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, 02881, USA
| | - Yang Lin
- Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, 02881, USA.
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32
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Xiang Y, Zhang H, Lu H, Wei B, Su C, Qin X, Fang M, Li X, Yang F. Bioorthogonal Microbubbles with Antifouling Nanofilm for Instant and Suspended Enrichment of Circulating Tumor Cells. ACS NANO 2023; 17:9633-9646. [PMID: 37144647 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c03194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Integrating clinical rare cell enrichment, culture, and single-cell phenotypic profiling is currently hampered by the lack of competent technologies, which typically suffer from weak cell-interface collision affinity, strong nonspecific adsorption, and the potential uptake. Here, we report cells-on-a-bubble, a bioinspired, self-powered bioorthogonal microbubble (click bubble) that leverages a clickable antifouling nanointerface and a DNA-assembled sucker-like polyvalent cell surface, to enable instant and suspended isolation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) within minutes. Using this biomimetic engineering strategy, click bubbles achieve a capture efficiency of up to 98%, improved by 20% at 15 times faster over their monovalent counterparts. Further, the buoyancy-activated bubble facilitates self-separation, 3D suspension culture, and in situ phenotyping of the captured single cancer cells. By using a multiantibody design, this fast, affordable micromotor-like click bubble enables suspended enrichment of CTCs in a cohort (n = 42) across three cancer types and treatment response evaluation, signifying its great potential to enable single-cell analysis and 3D organoid culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanhang Xiang
- Key Laboratory of Micro-Nanoscale Bioanalysis and Drug Screening of Guangxi Education Department, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules Research and Evaluation, State Key Laboratory of Targeting Oncology, Pharmaceutical College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Micro-Nanoscale Bioanalysis and Drug Screening of Guangxi Education Department, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules Research and Evaluation, State Key Laboratory of Targeting Oncology, Pharmaceutical College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Hao Lu
- Key Laboratory of Micro-Nanoscale Bioanalysis and Drug Screening of Guangxi Education Department, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules Research and Evaluation, State Key Laboratory of Targeting Oncology, Pharmaceutical College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Binqi Wei
- Key Laboratory of Micro-Nanoscale Bioanalysis and Drug Screening of Guangxi Education Department, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules Research and Evaluation, State Key Laboratory of Targeting Oncology, Pharmaceutical College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Cuiyun Su
- Department of Respiratory Oncology, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Xiaojie Qin
- Key Laboratory of Micro-Nanoscale Bioanalysis and Drug Screening of Guangxi Education Department, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules Research and Evaluation, State Key Laboratory of Targeting Oncology, Pharmaceutical College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Min Fang
- Department of Respiratory Oncology, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Xinchun Li
- Key Laboratory of Micro-Nanoscale Bioanalysis and Drug Screening of Guangxi Education Department, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules Research and Evaluation, State Key Laboratory of Targeting Oncology, Pharmaceutical College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Fan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Micro-Nanoscale Bioanalysis and Drug Screening of Guangxi Education Department, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules Research and Evaluation, State Key Laboratory of Targeting Oncology, Pharmaceutical College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
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Abstract
Over the past decade, melanoma has led the field in new cancer treatments, with impressive gains in on-treatment survival but more modest improvements in overall survival. Melanoma presents heterogeneity and transcriptional plasticity that recapitulates distinct melanocyte developmental states and phenotypes, allowing it to adapt to and eventually escape even the most advanced treatments. Despite remarkable advances in our understanding of melanoma biology and genetics, the melanoma cell of origin is still fiercely debated because both melanocyte stem cells and mature melanocytes can be transformed. Animal models and high-throughput single-cell sequencing approaches have opened new opportunities to address this question. Here, we discuss the melanocytic journey from the neural crest, where they emerge as melanoblasts, to the fully mature pigmented melanocytes resident in several tissues. We describe a new understanding of melanocyte biology and the different melanocyte subpopulations and microenvironments they inhabit, and how this provides unique insights into melanoma initiation and progression. We highlight recent findings on melanoma heterogeneity and transcriptional plasticity and their implications for exciting new research areas and treatment opportunities. The lessons from melanocyte biology reveal how cells that are present to protect us from the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation reach back to their origins to become a potentially deadly cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia P Centeno
- Molecular Oncology Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Alderley Park, UK
| | - Valeria Pavet
- Molecular Oncology Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Alderley Park, UK
| | - Richard Marais
- Molecular Oncology Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Alderley Park, UK.
- Oncodrug Ltd, Alderly Park, Macclesfield, UK.
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34
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Ghannoum S, Fantini D, Zahoor M, Reiterer V, Phuyal S, Leoncio Netto W, Sørensen Ø, Iyer A, Sengupta D, Prasmickaite L, Mælandsmo GM, Köhn-Luque A, Farhan H. A combined experimental-computational approach uncovers a role for the Golgi matrix protein Giantin in breast cancer progression. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1010995. [PMID: 37068117 PMCID: PMC10159355 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of how speed and persistence of cell migration affects the growth rate and size of tumors remains incomplete. To address this, we developed a mathematical model wherein cells migrate in two-dimensional space, divide, die or intravasate into the vasculature. Exploring a wide range of speed and persistence combinations, we find that tumor growth positively correlates with increasing speed and higher persistence. As a biologically relevant example, we focused on Golgi fragmentation, a phenomenon often linked to alterations of cell migration. Golgi fragmentation was induced by depletion of Giantin, a Golgi matrix protein, the downregulation of which correlates with poor patient survival. Applying the experimentally obtained migration and invasion traits of Giantin depleted breast cancer cells to our mathematical model, we predict that loss of Giantin increases the number of intravasating cells. This prediction was validated, by showing that circulating tumor cells express significantly less Giantin than primary tumor cells. Altogether, our computational model identifies cell migration traits that regulate tumor progression and uncovers a role of Giantin in breast cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salim Ghannoum
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Damiano Fantini
- Department of Urology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Muhammad Zahoor
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Veronika Reiterer
- Institute of Pathophysiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Santosh Phuyal
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Waldir Leoncio Netto
- Oslo Centre for Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Øystein Sørensen
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Arvind Iyer
- Department of Computational Biology, University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Debarka Sengupta
- Department of Computational Biology, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, New Delhi, India
- Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi, India
| | - Lina Prasmickaite
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Gunhild Mari Mælandsmo
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Medical Biology, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Alvaro Köhn-Luque
- Oslo Centre for Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Hesso Farhan
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Pathophysiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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35
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Qi M, Ruan M, Liang J, Zhang Z, Chen C, Cao Y, He R. Three-Dimensional PLGA Nanofiber-Based Microchip for High-Efficiency Cancer Cell Capture. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 16:3065. [PMID: 37109900 PMCID: PMC10144435 DOI: 10.3390/ma16083065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
A 3D network capture substrate based on poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanofibers was studied and successfully used for high-efficiency cancer cell capture. The arc-shaped glass micropillars were prepared by chemical wet etching and soft lithography. PLGA nanofibers were coupled with micropillars by electrospinning. Given the size effect of the microcolumn and PLGA nanofibers, a three-dimensional of micro-nanometer spatial network was prepared to form a network cell trapping substrate. After the modification of a specific anti-EpCAM antibody, MCF-7 cancer cells were captured successfully with a capture efficiency of 91%. Compared with the substrate composed of 2D nanofibers or nanoparticles, the developed 3D structure based on microcolumns and nanofibers had a greater contact probability between cells and the capture substrate, leading to a high capture efficiency. Cell capture based on this method can provide technical support for rare cells in peripheral blood detection, such as circulating tumor cells and circulating fetal nucleated red cells.
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36
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Natalia A, Zhang L, Sundah NR, Zhang Y, Shao H. Analytical device miniaturization for the detection of circulating biomarkers. NATURE REVIEWS BIOENGINEERING 2023; 1:1-18. [PMID: 37359772 PMCID: PMC10064972 DOI: 10.1038/s44222-023-00050-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Diverse (sub)cellular materials are secreted by cells into the systemic circulation at different stages of disease progression. These circulating biomarkers include whole cells, such as circulating tumour cells, subcellular extracellular vesicles and cell-free factors such as DNA, RNA and proteins. The biophysical and biomolecular state of circulating biomarkers carry a rich repertoire of molecular information that can be captured in the form of liquid biopsies for disease detection and monitoring. In this Review, we discuss miniaturized platforms that allow the minimally invasive and rapid detection and analysis of circulating biomarkers, accounting for their differences in size, concentration and molecular composition. We examine differently scaled materials and devices that can enrich, measure and analyse specific circulating biomarkers, outlining their distinct detection challenges. Finally, we highlight emerging opportunities in biomarker and device integration and provide key future milestones for their clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Auginia Natalia
- Institute for Health Innovation & Technology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Li Zhang
- Institute for Health Innovation & Technology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Noah R. Sundah
- Institute for Health Innovation & Technology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yan Zhang
- Institute for Health Innovation & Technology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Huilin Shao
- Institute for Health Innovation & Technology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Surgery, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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37
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Zhou J, Vorobyeva A, Luan Q, Papautsky I. Single Cell Analysis of Inertial Migration by Circulating Tumor Cells and Clusters. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:787. [PMID: 37421020 DOI: 10.3390/mi14040787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Single-cell analysis provides a wealth of information regarding the molecular landscape of the tumor cells responding to extracellular stimulations, which has greatly advanced the research in cancer biology. In this work, we adapt such a concept for the analysis of inertial migration of cells and clusters, which is promising for cancer liquid biopsy, by isolation and detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and CTC clusters. Using high-speed camera tracking live individual tumor cells and cell clusters, the behavior of inertial migration was profiled in unprecedented detail. We found that inertial migration is heterogeneous spatially, depending on the initial cross-sectional location. The lateral migration velocity peaks at about 25% of the channel width away from the sidewalls for both single cells and clusters. More importantly, while the doublets of the cell clusters migrate significantly faster than single cells (~two times faster), cell triplets unexpectedly have similar migration velocities to doublets, which seemingly disagrees with the size-dependent nature of inertial migration. Further analysis indicates that the cluster shape or format (for example, triplets can be in string format or triangle format) plays a significant role in the migration of more complex cell clusters. We found that the migration velocity of a string triplet is statistically comparable to that of a single cell while the triangle triplets can migrate slightly faster than doublets, suggesting that size-based sorting of cells and clusters can be challenging depending on the cluster format. Undoubtedly, these new findings need to be considered in the translation of inertial microfluidic technology for CTC cluster detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zhou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
- UI Cancer Center, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Alexandra Vorobyeva
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Qiyue Luan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Ian Papautsky
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
- UI Cancer Center, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
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38
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Salomon R, Razavi Bazaz S, Li W, Gallego-Ortega D, Jin D, Warkiani ME. A Method for Rapid, Quantitative Evaluation of Particle Sorting in Microfluidics Using Basic Cytometry Equipment. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:751. [PMID: 37420984 DOI: 10.3390/mi14040751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
This paper describes, in detail, a method that uses flow cytometry to quantitatively characterise the performance of continuous-flow microfluidic devices designed to separate particles. Whilst simple, this approach overcomes many of the issues with the current commonly utilised methods (high-speed fluorescent imaging, or cell counting via either a hemocytometer or a cell counter), as it can accurately assess device performance even in complex, high concentration mixtures in a way that was previously not possible. Uniquely, this approach takes advantage of pulse processing in flow cytometry to allow quantitation of cell separation efficiencies and resulting sample purities on both single cells as well as cell clusters (such as circulating tumour cell (CTC) clusters). Furthermore, it can readily be combined with cell surface phenotyping to measure separation efficiencies and purities in complex cell mixtures. This method will facilitate the rapid development of a raft of continuous flow microfluidic devices, will be helpful in testing novel separation devices for biologically relevant clusters of cells such as CTC clusters, and will provide a quantitative assessment of device performance in complex samples, which was previously impossible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Salomon
- Institute for Biomedical Materials & Devices (IBMD), Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Sajad Razavi Bazaz
- Institute for Biomedical Materials & Devices (IBMD), Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Wenyan Li
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - David Gallego-Ortega
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Dayong Jin
- Institute for Biomedical Materials & Devices (IBMD), Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Majid Ebrahimi Warkiani
- Institute for Biomedical Materials & Devices (IBMD), Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
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39
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Guo L, Liu C, Qi M, Cheng L, Wang L, Li C, Dong B. Recent progress of nanostructure-based enrichment of circulating tumor cells and downstream analysis. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:1493-1523. [PMID: 36776104 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00890d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The isolation and detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) play an important role in early cancer diagnosis and prognosis, providing easy access to identify metastatic cells before clinically detectable metastases. In the past 20 years, according to the heterogeneous expression of CTCs on the surface and their special physical properties (size, morphology, electricity, etc.), a series of in vitro enrichment methods of CTCs have been developed based on microfluidic chip technology, nanomaterials and various nanostructures. In recent years, the in vivo detection of CTCs has attracted considerable attention. Photoacoustic flow cytometry and fluorescence flow cytometry were used to detect CTCs in a noninvasive manner. In addition, flexible magnetic wire and indwelling intravascular non-circulating CTCs isolation system were developed for in vivo CTCs study. In the aspect of downstream analysis, gene analysis and drug sensitivity tests of enriched CTCs were developed based on various existing molecular analysis techniques. All of these studies constitute a complete study of CTCs. Although the existing reviews mainly focus on one aspect of capturing CTCs study, a review that includes the in vivo and in vitro capture and downstream analysis study of CTCs is highly needed. This review focuses on not only the classic work and latest research progress in in vitro capture but also includes the in vivo capture and downstream analysis, discussing the advantages and significance of the different research methods and providing new ideas for solving the heterogeneity and rarity of CTCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihua Guo
- State Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, P. R. China.
| | - Chang Liu
- State Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, P. R. China.
| | - Manlin Qi
- Department of Oral Implantology, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Tooth Development and Bone Remodeling, School of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, P. R. China.
| | - Liang Cheng
- Department of Oral Implantology, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Tooth Development and Bone Remodeling, School of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, P. R. China.
| | - Lin Wang
- Department of Oral Implantology, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Tooth Development and Bone Remodeling, School of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, P. R. China.
| | - Chunxia Li
- Institute of Molecular Sciences and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, P. R. China.
| | - Biao Dong
- State Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, P. R. China.
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40
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Wu J, Fang H, Zhang J, Yan S. Modular microfluidics for life sciences. J Nanobiotechnology 2023; 21:85. [PMID: 36906553 PMCID: PMC10008080 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-023-01846-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The advancement of microfluidics has enabled numerous discoveries and technologies in life sciences. However, due to the lack of industry standards and configurability, the design and fabrication of microfluidic devices require highly skilled technicians. The diversity of microfluidic devices discourages biologists and chemists from applying this technique in their laboratories. Modular microfluidics, which integrates the standardized microfluidic modules into a whole, complex platform, brings the capability of configurability to conventional microfluidics. The exciting features, including portability, on-site deployability, and high customization motivate us to review the state-of-the-art modular microfluidics and discuss future perspectives. In this review, we first introduce the working mechanisms of the basic microfluidic modules and evaluate their feasibility as modular microfluidic components. Next, we explain the connection approaches among these microfluidic modules, and summarize the advantages of modular microfluidics over integrated microfluidics in biological applications. Finally, we discuss the challenge and future perspectives of modular microfluidics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jialin Wu
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
- Nanophotonics Research Center, Institute of Microscale Optoelectronics, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hui Fang
- Nanophotonics Research Center, Institute of Microscale Optoelectronics, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Queensland Micro and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, 4111, Australia
| | - Sheng Yan
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
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41
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Mohamed BM, Ward MP, Bates M, Spillane CD, Kelly T, Martin C, Gallagher M, Heffernan S, Norris L, Kennedy J, Saadeh FA, Gleeson N, Brooks DA, Brooks RD, Selemidis S, O'Toole S, O'Leary JJ. Ex vivo expansion of circulating tumour cells (CTCs). Sci Rep 2023; 13:3704. [PMID: 36879003 PMCID: PMC9988863 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30733-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Circulating tumour cells (CTCs) are a critical intermediate step in the process of cancer metastasis. The reliability of CTC isolation/purification has limited both the potential to report on metastatic progression and the development of CTCs as targets for therapeutic intervention. Here we report a new methodology, which optimises the culture conditions for CTCs using primary cancer cells as a model system. We exploited the known biology that CTCs thrive in hypoxic conditions, with their survival and proliferation being reliant on the activation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α). We isolated epithelial-like and quasi-mesenchymal CTC phenotypes from the blood of a cancer patient and successfully cultured these cells for more than 8 weeks. The presence of CTC clusters was required to establish and maintain long-term cultures. This novel methodology for the long-term culture of CTCs will aid in the development of downstream applications, including CTC theranostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bashir M Mohamed
- Department of Histopathology, Trinity College Dublin, Emer Casey Molecular Pathology Research Laboratory, Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. .,Trinity St James's Cancer Institute, Dublin 8, Ireland. .,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Mark P Ward
- Department of Histopathology, Trinity College Dublin, Emer Casey Molecular Pathology Research Laboratory, Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.,Trinity St James's Cancer Institute, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Mark Bates
- Department of Histopathology, Trinity College Dublin, Emer Casey Molecular Pathology Research Laboratory, Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.,Trinity St James's Cancer Institute, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Cathy D Spillane
- Department of Histopathology, Trinity College Dublin, Emer Casey Molecular Pathology Research Laboratory, Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.,Trinity St James's Cancer Institute, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Tanya Kelly
- Department of Histopathology, Trinity College Dublin, Emer Casey Molecular Pathology Research Laboratory, Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.,Trinity St James's Cancer Institute, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Cara Martin
- Department of Histopathology, Trinity College Dublin, Emer Casey Molecular Pathology Research Laboratory, Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.,Trinity St James's Cancer Institute, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Michael Gallagher
- Department of Histopathology, Trinity College Dublin, Emer Casey Molecular Pathology Research Laboratory, Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.,Trinity St James's Cancer Institute, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Sheena Heffernan
- Department of Histopathology, Trinity College Dublin, Emer Casey Molecular Pathology Research Laboratory, Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.,Trinity St James's Cancer Institute, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Lucy Norris
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - John Kennedy
- HOPE Directorate, St. James's Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Feras Abu Saadeh
- Division of Gynaecological Oncology, St. James's Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Noreen Gleeson
- Division of Gynaecological Oncology, St. James's Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Doug A Brooks
- Department of Histopathology, Trinity College Dublin, Emer Casey Molecular Pathology Research Laboratory, Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.,Trinity St James's Cancer Institute, Dublin 8, Ireland.,Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia
| | - Robert D Brooks
- Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia
| | - Stavros Selemidis
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC, 3083, Australia
| | - Sharon O'Toole
- Department of Histopathology, Trinity College Dublin, Emer Casey Molecular Pathology Research Laboratory, Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.,Trinity St James's Cancer Institute, Dublin 8, Ireland.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - John J O'Leary
- Department of Histopathology, Trinity College Dublin, Emer Casey Molecular Pathology Research Laboratory, Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.,Trinity St James's Cancer Institute, Dublin 8, Ireland
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42
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Armakolas A, Kotsari M, Koskinas J. Liquid Biopsies, Novel Approaches and Future Directions. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:1579. [PMID: 36900369 PMCID: PMC10000663 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15051579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is among the leading causes of death worldwide. Early diagnosis and prognosis are vital to improve patients' outcomes. The gold standard of tumor characterization leading to tumor diagnosis and prognosis is tissue biopsy. Amongst the constraints of tissue biopsy collection is the sampling frequency and the incomplete representation of the entire tumor bulk. Liquid biopsy approaches, including the analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), circulating miRNAs, and tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs), as well as certain protein signatures that are released in the circulation from primary tumors and their metastatic sites, present a promising and more potent candidate for patient diagnosis and follow up monitoring. The minimally invasive nature of liquid biopsies, allowing frequent collection, can be used in the monitoring of therapy response in real time, allowing the development of novel approaches in the therapeutic management of cancer patients. In this review we will describe recent advances in the field of liquid biopsy markers focusing on their advantages and disadvantages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athanasios Armakolas
- Physiology Laboratory, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 115 27 Athens, Greece
- B' Department of Medicine, Hippokration Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 115 27 Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Kotsari
- Physiology Laboratory, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 115 27 Athens, Greece
| | - John Koskinas
- B' Department of Medicine, Hippokration Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 115 27 Athens, Greece
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43
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Bates M, Mohamed BM, Ward MP, Kelly TE, O'Connor R, Malone V, Brooks R, Brooks D, Selemidis S, Martin C, O'Toole S, O'Leary JJ. Circulating tumour cells: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2023; 1878:188863. [PMID: 36796527 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2023.188863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
This review is an overview of the current knowledge regarding circulating tumour cells (CTCs), which are potentially the most lethal type of cancer cell, and may be a key component of the metastatic cascade. The clinical utility of CTCs (the "Good"), includes their diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic potential. Conversely, their complex biology (the "Bad"), including the existence of CD45+/EpCAM+ CTCs, adds insult to injury regarding their isolation and identification, which in turn hampers their clinical translation. CTCs are capable of forming microemboli composed of both non-discrete phenotypic populations such as mesenchymal CTCs and homotypic and heterotypic clusters which are poised to interact with other cells in the circulation, including immune cells and platelets, which may increase their malignant potential. These microemboli (the "Ugly") represent a prognostically important CTC subset, however, phenotypic EMT/MET gradients bring additional complexities to an already challenging situation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Bates
- Department of Histopathology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland; Emer Casey Molecular Pathology Research Laboratory, Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland; Trinity St James's Cancer Institute, Dublin 8, Ireland.
| | - Bashir M Mohamed
- Department of Histopathology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland; Emer Casey Molecular Pathology Research Laboratory, Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland; Trinity St James's Cancer Institute, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Mark P Ward
- Department of Histopathology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland; Emer Casey Molecular Pathology Research Laboratory, Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland; Trinity St James's Cancer Institute, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Tanya E Kelly
- Department of Histopathology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland; Emer Casey Molecular Pathology Research Laboratory, Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland; Trinity St James's Cancer Institute, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Roisin O'Connor
- Department of Histopathology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland; Emer Casey Molecular Pathology Research Laboratory, Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland; Trinity St James's Cancer Institute, Dublin 8, Ireland; Department of Pathology, Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Victoria Malone
- Department of Histopathology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland; Emer Casey Molecular Pathology Research Laboratory, Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland; Trinity St James's Cancer Institute, Dublin 8, Ireland; Department of Pathology, Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Robert Brooks
- Cancer Research Institute, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | - Doug Brooks
- Department of Histopathology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland; Trinity St James's Cancer Institute, Dublin 8, Ireland; Cancer Research Institute, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | - Stavros Selemidis
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia
| | - Cara Martin
- Department of Histopathology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland; Emer Casey Molecular Pathology Research Laboratory, Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland; Trinity St James's Cancer Institute, Dublin 8, Ireland; Department of Pathology, Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Sharon O'Toole
- Department of Histopathology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland; Emer Casey Molecular Pathology Research Laboratory, Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland; Trinity St James's Cancer Institute, Dublin 8, Ireland; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - John J O'Leary
- Department of Histopathology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland; Emer Casey Molecular Pathology Research Laboratory, Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland; Trinity St James's Cancer Institute, Dublin 8, Ireland; Department of Pathology, Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland
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44
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Lu N, Tay HM, Petchakup C, He L, Gong L, Maw KK, Leong SY, Lok WW, Ong HB, Guo R, Li KHH, Hou HW. Label-free microfluidic cell sorting and detection for rapid blood analysis. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:1226-1257. [PMID: 36655549 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00904h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Blood tests are considered as standard clinical procedures to screen for markers of diseases and health conditions. However, the complex cellular background (>99.9% RBCs) and biomolecular composition often pose significant technical challenges for accurate blood analysis. An emerging approach for point-of-care blood diagnostics is utilizing "label-free" microfluidic technologies that rely on intrinsic cell properties for blood fractionation and disease detection without any antibody binding. A growing body of clinical evidence has also reported that cellular dysfunction and their biophysical phenotypes are complementary to standard hematoanalyzer analysis (complete blood count) and can provide a more comprehensive health profiling. In this review, we will summarize recent advances in microfluidic label-free separation of different blood cell components including circulating tumor cells, leukocytes, platelets and nanoscale extracellular vesicles. Label-free single cell analysis of intrinsic cell morphology, spectrochemical properties, dielectric parameters and biophysical characteristics as novel blood-based biomarkers will also be presented. Next, we will highlight research efforts that combine label-free microfluidics with machine learning approaches to enhance detection sensitivity and specificity in clinical studies, as well as innovative microfluidic solutions which are capable of fully integrated and label-free blood cell sorting and analysis. Lastly, we will envisage the current challenges and future outlook of label-free microfluidics platforms for high throughput multi-dimensional blood cell analysis to identify non-traditional circulating biomarkers for clinical diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Lu
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
- HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab, Nanyang Technological University, 65 Nanyang Drive, Block N3, 637460, Singapore
| | - Hui Min Tay
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Chayakorn Petchakup
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Linwei He
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Lingyan Gong
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Kay Khine Maw
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Sheng Yuan Leong
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Wan Wei Lok
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Hong Boon Ong
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Ruya Guo
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Information Acquisition Technology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - King Ho Holden Li
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
- HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab, Nanyang Technological University, 65 Nanyang Drive, Block N3, 637460, Singapore
| | - Han Wei Hou
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
- HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab, Nanyang Technological University, 65 Nanyang Drive, Block N3, 637460, Singapore
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 11 Mandalay Road, Clinical Sciences Building, 308232, Singapore
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45
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Shi J, Xu J, Yu Y, Wu C, Chen J, Li S, Ouyang Q, Yang W, Luo C. A Parallelable 3D Microfluidic Chip for Circulating‐Tumor‐Cell Capture at Ultra‐High Throughput and Wide Flow Rate Range. ADVANCED NANOBIOMED RESEARCH 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/anbr.202200140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jialin Shi
- The State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructures and Mesoscopic Physics School of Physics Peking University 5 Summer Palace Road Beijing 100871 China
- Center for Quantitative Biology Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies Peking University 5 Summer Palace Road Beijing 100871 China
| | - Jian Xu
- Wenzhou Institute University of Chinese Academy of Sciences 1 Jinlian Road Wenzhou Zhejiang 325001 China
| | - Yaojun Yu
- Department of Surgery The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University 1111 Wenzhou Road Wenzhou Zhejiang 325027 China
| | - Chengyuan Wu
- Department of Surgery The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University 1111 Wenzhou Road Wenzhou Zhejiang 325027 China
| | - Jiangnan Chen
- Department of Surgery The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University 1111 Wenzhou Road Wenzhou Zhejiang 325027 China
| | - Shuangshuang Li
- Wenzhou Institute University of Chinese Academy of Sciences 1 Jinlian Road Wenzhou Zhejiang 325001 China
| | - Qi Ouyang
- The State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructures and Mesoscopic Physics School of Physics Peking University 5 Summer Palace Road Beijing 100871 China
- Center for Quantitative Biology Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies Peking University 5 Summer Palace Road Beijing 100871 China
- Wenzhou Institute University of Chinese Academy of Sciences 1 Jinlian Road Wenzhou Zhejiang 325001 China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences Peking University 5 Summer Palace Road Beijing 100817 China
| | - Wei Yang
- Wenzhou Institute University of Chinese Academy of Sciences 1 Jinlian Road Wenzhou Zhejiang 325001 China
| | - Chunxiong Luo
- The State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructures and Mesoscopic Physics School of Physics Peking University 5 Summer Palace Road Beijing 100871 China
- Center for Quantitative Biology Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies Peking University 5 Summer Palace Road Beijing 100871 China
- Wenzhou Institute University of Chinese Academy of Sciences 1 Jinlian Road Wenzhou Zhejiang 325001 China
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46
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Liu X, Song J, Zhang H, Liu X, Zuo F, Zhao Y, Zhao Y, Yin X, Guo X, Wu X, Zhang H, Xu J, Hu J, Jing J, Ma X, Shi H. Immune checkpoint HLA-E:CD94-NKG2A mediates evasion of circulating tumor cells from NK cell surveillance. Cancer Cell 2023; 41:272-287.e9. [PMID: 36706761 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2023.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 63.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), shed by primary malignancies, function as "seeds" for distant metastasis. However, it is still largely unknown how CTCs escape immune surveillance. Here, we characterize the transcriptomes of human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma CTCs, primary, and metastatic lesions at single-cell scale. Cell-interaction analysis and functional studies in vitro and in vivo reveal that CTCs and natural killer (NK) cells interact via the immune checkpoint molecule pair HLA-E:CD94-NKG2A. Disruption of this interaction by blockade of NKG2A or knockdown of HLA-E expression enhances NK-mediated tumor cell killing in vitro and prevents tumor metastasis in vivo. Mechanistic studies indicate that platelet-derived RGS18 promotes the expression of HLA-E through AKT-GSK3β-CREB signaling, and overexpression of RGS18 facilitates pancreatic tumor hepatic metastasis. In conclusion, platelet-derived RGS18 protects CTCs from NK-mediated immune surveillance by engaging the immune checkpoint HLA-E:CD94-NKG2A. Interruption of the suppressive signaling prevents tumor metastasis in vivo by immune elimination of CTCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowei Liu
- Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, Clinical Research Center for Breast, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Jinen Song
- Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, Clinical Research Center for Breast, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Xinyu Liu
- Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, Clinical Research Center for Breast, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Fengli Zuo
- Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, Clinical Research Center for Breast, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Yunuo Zhao
- Department of Biotherapy, West China Hospital and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Yujie Zhao
- Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, Clinical Research Center for Breast, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Xiaomeng Yin
- Department of Biotherapy, West China Hospital and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Xinyu Guo
- Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, Clinical Research Center for Breast, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Xi Wu
- Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, Clinical Research Center for Breast, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Hu Zhang
- Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, Clinical Research Center for Breast, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Jie Xu
- Institutes of Biological Sciences, Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jianping Hu
- College of Pharmacy and Biological Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610106, China
| | - Jing Jing
- Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, Clinical Research Center for Breast, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Xuelei Ma
- Department of Biotherapy, West China Hospital and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China.
| | - Hubing Shi
- Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, Clinical Research Center for Breast, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China.
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47
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Zhang Y, Zhang Z, Zheng D, Huang T, Fu Q, Liu Y. Label-Free Separation of Circulating Tumor Cells and Clusters by Alternating Frequency Acoustic Field in a Microfluidic Chip. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043338. [PMID: 36834750 PMCID: PMC9964901 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) play an important role in the prognosis and efficacy evaluation of metastatic tumors. Since CTCs are present in very low concentrations in the blood and the phenotype is dynamically changing, it is a great challenge to achieve efficient separation while maintaining their viability. In this work, we designed an acoustofluidic microdevice for CTCs separation based on the differences in cell physical properties of size and compressibility. Efficient separation can be achieved with only one piece of piezoceramic working on alternating frequency mode. The separation principle was simulated by numerical calculation. Cancer cells from different tumor types were separated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), with capture efficiency higher than 94% and a contamination rate of about 1% was obtained. Furthermore, this method was validated to have no negative effect on the viability of the separated cells. Finally, blood samples from patients with different cancer types and stages were tested, with measured concentrations of 36-166 CTCs per milliliter. Effective separation was achieved even when the size of CTCs is similar to that of PBMCs, which has the prospect of clinical application in cancer diagnosis and efficacy evaluation.
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48
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Yamamoto A, Doak AE, Cheung KJ. Orchestration of Collective Migration and Metastasis by Tumor Cell Clusters. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PATHOLOGY 2023; 18:231-256. [PMID: 36207009 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pathmechdis-031521-023557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Metastatic dissemination has lethal consequences for cancer patients. Accruing evidence supports the hypothesis that tumor cells can migrate and metastasize as clusters of cells while maintaining contacts with one another. Collective metastasis enables tumor cells to colonize secondary sites more efficiently, resist cell death, and evade the immune system. On the other hand, tumor cell clusters face unique challenges for dissemination particularly during systemic dissemination. Here, we review recent progress toward understanding how tumor cell clusters overcome these disadvantages as well as mechanisms they utilize to gain advantages throughout the metastatic process. We consider useful models for studying collective metastasis and reflect on how the study of collective metastasis suggests new opportunities for eradicating and preventing metastatic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ami Yamamoto
- Translational Research Program, Public Health Sciences and Human Biology Divisions, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA; , , .,Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Andrea E Doak
- Translational Research Program, Public Health Sciences and Human Biology Divisions, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA; , , .,Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Kevin J Cheung
- Translational Research Program, Public Health Sciences and Human Biology Divisions, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA; , ,
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49
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Lv S, Zheng D, Chen Z, Jia B, Zhang P, Yan J, Jiang W, Zhao X, Xu JJ. Near-Infrared Light-Responsive Size-Selective Lateral Flow Chip for Single-Cell Manipulation of Circulating Tumor Cells. Anal Chem 2023; 95:1201-1209. [PMID: 36541430 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c03947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Accurately obtaining information on the heterogeneity of CTCs at the single-cell level is a very challenging task that may facilitate cancer pathogenesis research and personalized therapy. However, commonly used multicellular population capture and release assays tend to lose effective information on heterogeneity and cannot accurately assess molecular-level studies and drug resistance assessment of CTCs in different stages of tumor metastasis. Herein, we designed a near-infrared (NIR) light-responsive microfluidic chip for biocompatible single-cell manipulation and study the heterogeneity of CTCs by a combination of the lateral flow microarray (LFM) chip and photothermal response system. First, immunomagnetic labeling and a gradient magnetic field were combined to distribute CTCs in different regions of the chip according to the content of surface markers. Subsequently, the LFM chip achieves high single-cell capture efficiency and purity (even as low as 5 CTCs per milliliter of blood) under the influence of lateral fluid and magnetic fields. Due to the rapid dissolution of the gelatin capture structure at 37 °C and the photothermal properties of gold nanorods, the captured single CTC cell can be recovered in large quantities at physiological temperature or released individually at a specific point by NIR. The multifunctional NIR-responsive LFM chip demonstrates excellent performance in capture and site release of CTCs with high viability, which provides a robust and versatile means for CTCs heterogeneity study at the single-cell level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songwei Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Sciences, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.,School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Dong Zheng
- Department of Orthopedics, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213003, China
| | - Zhaoxian Chen
- College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Bin Jia
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Jiaxuan Yan
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Wanlan Jiang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First People's Hospital of Changzhou (The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University), Changzhou 213003, China
| | - Xiubo Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Jing-Juan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Sciences, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
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50
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Wang Y, Tong N, Li F, Zhao K, Wang D, Niu Y, Xu F, Cheng J, Wang J. Trapping of a Single Microparticle Using AC Dielectrophoresis Forces in a Microfluidic Chip. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:159. [PMID: 36677221 PMCID: PMC9863554 DOI: 10.3390/mi14010159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Precise trap and manipulation of individual cells is a prerequisite for single-cell analysis, which has a wide range of applications in biology, chemistry, medicine, and materials. Herein, a microfluidic trapping system with a 3D electrode based on AC dielectrophoresis (DEP) technology is proposed, which can achieve the precise trapping and release of specific microparticles. The 3D electrode consists of four rectangular stereoscopic electrodes with an acute angle near the trapping chamber. It is made of Ag-PDMS material, and is the same height as the channel, which ensures the uniform DEP force will be received in the whole channel space, ensuring a better trapping effect can be achieved. The numerical simulation was conducted in terms of electrode height, angle, and channel width. Based on the simulation results, an optimal chip structure was obtained. Then, the polystyrene particles with different diameters were used as the samples to verify the effectiveness of the designed trapping system. The findings of this research will contribute to the application of cell trapping and manipulation, as well as single-cell analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjuan Wang
- Software Institute, Dalian Jiaotong University, Dalian 116028, China
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Sensing and Intelligent Detection, College of Information Science and Technology, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China
| | - Ning Tong
- Software Institute, Dalian Jiaotong University, Dalian 116028, China
| | - Fengqi Li
- Software Institute, Dalian Jiaotong University, Dalian 116028, China
| | - Kai Zhao
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Sensing and Intelligent Detection, College of Information Science and Technology, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China
- College of Information Science and Technology, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China
| | - Deguang Wang
- Software Institute, Dalian Jiaotong University, Dalian 116028, China
| | - Yijie Niu
- Software Institute, Dalian Jiaotong University, Dalian 116028, China
| | - Fengqiang Xu
- Software Institute, Dalian Jiaotong University, Dalian 116028, China
| | - Jiale Cheng
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Sensing and Intelligent Detection, College of Information Science and Technology, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China
- College of Information Science and Technology, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China
| | - Junsheng Wang
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Sensing and Intelligent Detection, College of Information Science and Technology, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China
- College of Information Science and Technology, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China
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