A Novel System to Detect Circulating Tumor Cells Using Two Different Size-selective Microfilters

Abstract

Background/aim: Clusters of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) increase metastatic potential compared to single CTC. However, conventional technologies have been unable to generate an accurate analysis of single and cluster CTCs in the peripheral blood. We propose an effective strategy to detect and isolate both single and cluster CTCs using two size-selective microfilters.

Materials and methods: Five ml of whole blood were collected from 10 patients with epidermal growth factor receptor mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer. Single and cluster CTCs were identified using precision microfiltration membranes with two distinct pore sizes together with anti-EpCAM antibody labeling.

Results: Single and cluster CTCs were detected by simultaneously using two size-selective microfilters. The EGFR-L858R mutation was detected in the DNA from cells captured using both microfilters.

Conclusion: Our method can be used to detect and isolate single and cluster CTCs in the whole blood and may facilitate the development of a liquid biopsy strategy.

Keywords: Size-selective microfilters; circulating tumor cell; circulating tumor cell cluster; non-small cell lung cancer.