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Chip assesses cancer treatment efficacy with blood draw

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By employing a microchip called 'GO chip' for the analysis of blood samples, physicians could assess the concentration of cancer cells in a patient's bloodstream, offering insights into treatment efficacy as early as the fourth week. 

The 'GO chip' was created in a laboratory by the University of Michigan researchers. The chip is like a special tool that catches cancer cells from the blood. 

This chip assesses cancer treatment efficacy with a simple blood draw
As blood flows through the GO chips, cancer cells stick to antibodies embedded in the chip.

University of Michigan 

It works a bit like flypaper catching flies, but this chip only grabs the specific cancer cells we're looking for. The chip has tiny sheets made of graphene oxide with antibodies on them. 

These antibodies recognize special markers on the surface of cancer cells. When blood flows through the chip, the antibodies trap the cells, making a concentration that can be studied. 

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This helps the researchers count the cells, confirm they are cancerous, and determine how their chemistry is different in different patients and stages of treatment.

"Currently, there's typically a wait of weeks to months before we can fully assess the effectiveness of cancer treatment," said Shruti Jolly, professor of radiation oncology, associate chair of community practices at U-M and co-corresponding author of the study.

"However, with this chip, we may be able to sidestep prolonged, ineffective therapy and quickly pivot to alternatives, thus saving patients from needless side effects," she added.

The study proposes that this information empowers healthcare professionals to tailor cancer treatments based on individual patient requirements, thereby enhancing overall treatment outcomes.

The study zeroed in on lung cancer

The study looks at very specific lung cancer patients (30 percent of all lung cancer patients) who have locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer that cannot be surgically removed.

This chip assesses cancer treatment efficacy with a simple blood draw
Engineers use a corona wand to apply high-voltage electric current, forming a plasma that charges and seals GO chip covers tightly.

University of Michigan 

The usual treatment involves a mix of chemotherapy and radiation, followed by a year of other treatments. To make treatments more personalized, it's important to predict if the cancer will spread early on during the initial treatment.

The conventional monitoring methods involve imaging scans and needle biopsies, which are costly, time-consuming, invasive, and minimally repeatable. The proposed solution in the study is a liquid biopsy via blood samples.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are cells that come from tumors and can be found in a simple blood draw. Catching these cells is tricky because there aren't many of them present. Still, the GO chip uses immunoaffinity to capture CTCs on the surface of the device with high purity and sensitivity.

This chip assesses cancer treatment efficacy with a simple blood draw
Once the GO chips are completely assembled, it’s time to add the blood samples.

University of Michigan 

In their study, the researchers used the GO chip to find CTCs in patients with stage III lung cancer who hadn't started treatment yet.

They observed that if the count of cancer cells in a patient's bloodstream doesn't drop by at least 75 percent by the fourth week of treatment, there's a higher likelihood that the cancer may persist even after the completion of the treatment. 

This finding carries significant implications for understanding and predicting treatment outcomes in cancer patients.

The study was published in Cell Reports.

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