Scientists from UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) developed a new technology for cancer cells isolation, and the tech showed a great ability in providing a more accurate way for cancer cell testing.

Cancer tumor cells are larger than the healthy cells in size. By making use of this character, the new tech was designed with a dynamic filter system consisting of whirlpools at millimeter level. Thus the cancer cells can be isolated while circulation, which helps to avoid the cells being damaged or unable to perform normal activities.

The circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are one of the key features of cancer, but not easy to be collected in blood samples with the present methods. The difficulties mainly lay in two aspects, one is for the number of the cells can be isolated, and the other is for the low level of integrity as most cells would probably break in the isolating process. The latest method was set to address such problems and improve the success rate. Then the circulating and mini whirlpools are the keys for such issues. By keeping the target cells and filter away the small ones, both integrity and number goal can be met.

The scientific team led by Dino Di Carlo, had took experiments with the new tech on 50 cancer patients. The CTCs gained from these people were inspected, and the featured proteins for cancer were found. Then they compared the CTC level got by the present technology, a big gap in precision was presented by the comparison. About 80% patients got a higher level of CTCs than their counterparts at the same age level, while the number from the present technology used in this experiment is only 20%.

The up-leveled precision will help more patients to accept related medical test and treatment much early and leaving a higher possibility for cures. Besides, by studying the CTCs collected in this way, medical professionals can analyze exact development situation of cancers and place tailored therapy.

The last but not the least, the new tech is much cheaper in cost, then a lower pay from patients will be a following result, making it a precise and cheap way to detect cancer.


References:

1. Article-UCLA scientists advance cancer screening technology to better personalize cancer treatment, 22,02,2016
2. Study Paper-Classification of large circulating tumor cells isolated with ultra-high throughput microfluidic Vortex technology, with doi number being 10.18632/oncotarget.7220, February 06, 2016


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