The ability of metastatic cancer to release cells that travel through the circulatory system and invade different parts of the body accounts for over 90% of cancer related deaths. The fundamental challenge with detecting these circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in blood samples is the fact that they are so rare, with only a few tumors cells occurring among billions of blood cells. Since tumor cells are almost always significantly larger and more rigid than normal blood cells, size based separation has been demonstrated to be an effective method for CTC capture and enrichment. While useful for detection, size based techniques apply concentrated stresses that affect the viability of captured cells. We have incorporated novel spring structures into our microfilter design that mitigate the stresses experienced by CTCs during filtration to encourage their health and survival. The geometric design and filtration pressures have been optimized to maximize capture efficiency, enrichment against white blood cells, and tumor cell viability. This was achieved through repeated filtrations using a model system of fluorescently labeled cells from various established tumor cell lines spiked into healthy donor blood. The viability of captured cells has been confirmed through exclusion dye testing, and through the proliferation and culture of captured cells directly on the filter surface. The successful capture and primary culture of viable CTCs from clinical patient samples will allow unprecedented analysis and genetic testing of the cells directly responsible for metastasis. This could provide the basis for externally testing tumor cell response to a variety of anticancer drugs without having to expose a patient to the unnecessary cost and toxic effects of chemotherapy, thereby improving patient outcomes through the development of personalized treatment plans.
Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5214. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-5214