Microchip-based device can detect rare tumor cells in bloodstream
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Scanning electron microscope image of a lung cancer cell adhering to an antibody-coated micropost on the CTC-chip. Credit: Massachusetts General Hospital BioMEMS Resource Center
A team of investigators from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Biomicroelectromechanical Systems (BioMEMS) Resource Center and the MGH Cancer Center has developed a microchip-based device that can isolate, enumerate and analyze circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from a blood sample. CTCs are viable cells from solid tumors carried in the bloodstream at a level of one in a billion cell. Because of their rarity and fragility, it has not been possible to get information from CTCs that could help clinical decision-making, but the new device – called the “CTC-chip,”– has the potential to be an invaluable tool for monitoring and guiding cancer treatment.
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