Develop a Label-free Microfluidic Platform for Circulating Tumor Cells Isolation and Enumeration

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are living solid-tumor cells found at extremely low levels in the bloodstream. It is generally regarded that CTCs are essential for establishing metastasis, the major cause responsible for cancer-related deaths. Therefore, the isolation and enumeration of CTCs from blood specimens of potential patients can not only provide important information for clinical decision-making, but may also be helpful in identifying susceptible subjects and preventing metastasis in cancer patients. However, it is very challenging to selectively isolate and accurately detect CTCs due to its extremely low count in the blood. In the proposed project, we aim to develop an integrated microfluidic-electrical platform for label-free CTCs isolation and enumeration from unprocessed whole blood. The success of this proposed work would allow routine monitoring of cancer cells as part of medical examination, and could result in early detection and treatment, with the chance of obtaining higher cure rates.