Liquid Biopsy Method and Device

Unmet Need
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are cancer cells that have left the primary tumor and are carried around the body in circulation. Because their numbers are small, they are not easily detected. Through CTC capture, valuable information can be uncovered regarding a tumor’s link to cancer diagnosis or treatment. One method of detecting CTCs is using liquid biopsies, which analyzes liquid bits of tumor material that are found in bodily fluids. Cancer patients only have between 5-50 CTCs per teaspoon of blood, making it incredibly difficult to isolate CTC. For detection, immunocytochemical magnetophoretic CTC isolation devices are used to identify surface antigens and distinguish them from other cells. However, current devices have difficulty quantifying and controlling sample loss, and rely on random mixing methods that may lead to a misrepresentation.
 
Technology Overview
Johns Hopkins researchers have invented a new CTC extraction device (CTC-X) for analyzing liquid biopsies. This technology offers a controlled scanning process for CTC antibody binding, rather than the classic random mixing, in order to yield high CTC recovery. The proposed invention also uses a novel magnetophoretic direct extraction method to isolate CTCs onto a standard slide. The CTC solution is placed in a vial with antibody-bound PMP (beads) to initiate a binding reaction. A magnetic field is implemented into a helical motion by rotating electromagnets and translating the vial, in order to transfer the CTCs onto a slide for visualization. This invention offers a lossless CTC isolation solution (100% recovery) for determining patient tailored treatments.
 
Stage of Development
This invention has been tested in research labs in the Department of Urology to determine the efficacy of the device. The inventors compared individual cell count before scanning/transferring to the cell count after scanning/transferring. As a result, the CTC recovery rate was 100 percent.
 
Publications
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