Chen Lifei, He Jiangling, Liang Haiping, Li Xingcan, Zhang Yi, Wang Yanying, Yang Nianjun, Li Chunya, Cheng Shibo
Key Laboratory of Catalysis and Energy Materials Chemistry of Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan, 430074, China.
National R&D Center for Se-Rich Agricultural Products Processing, Hubei Engineering Research Center for Deep Processing of Green Se-Rich Agricultural Products, School of Modern Industry for Selenium Science and Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, 430023, China.
Talanta. 2025 Dec 1;295:128275. doi: 10.1016/j.talanta.2025.128275. Epub 2025 May 5.
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in peripheral blood are a heterogeneous population responsible for tumor metastasis. Therefore, the isolation of CTCs and precise analysis of their phenotypes are crucial for early cancer diagnosis and effective treatment. In this study, we developed an integrated microfluidic chip capable of efficiently isolating CTCs from whole blood and performing dual-mode detection using near-infrared photoelectrochemical (PEC) aptasensors and fluorescence imaging. This dual-mode strategy enhances phenotypic screening and improves detection accuracy. The chip features a herringbone-shaped microfluidic channel coupled with a PEC sensing system based on Yb-BiS@AuNPs nanocomposites, which serve as photoelectric conversion elements, and an aptamer-functionalized surface for CTC capture. Utilizing a "rail transit" principle, different CTC phenotypes were selectively captured and screened based on spatial effects. Following capture, the CTCs were labeled with a hemicyanine fluorescent probe for fluorescence imaging. The system achieved a tumor cell separation efficiency of up to 90 %. The combination of PEC aptasensor sensitivity and fluorescence imaging ensures the high accuracy of tumor cell detection. This dual-mode system provides both highly sensitive PEC-based detection and fluorescence-based cell counting, enabling the phenotypic screening and quantification of CTCs with exceptional performance.
外周血中的循环肿瘤细胞（CTC）是导致肿瘤转移的异质性群体。因此，CTC的分离及其表型的精确分析对于癌症早期诊断和有效治疗至关重要。在本研究中，我们开发了一种集成微流控芯片，能够从全血中高效分离CTC，并使用近红外光电化学（PEC）适体传感器和荧光成像进行双模检测。这种双模策略增强了表型筛选并提高了检测准确性。该芯片具有人字形微流控通道，与基于Yb-BiS@AuNPs纳米复合材料的PEC传感系统相结合，该复合材料用作光电转换元件，以及用于捕获CTC的适体功能化表面。利用“轨道交通”原理，基于空间效应选择性地捕获和筛选不同的CTC表型。捕获后，用半菁荧光探针对CTC进行标记以进行荧光成像。该系统实现了高达90%的肿瘤细胞分离效率。PEC适体传感器的灵敏度与荧光成像相结合，确保了肿瘤细胞检测的高精度。这种双模系统既提供了基于PEC的高灵敏度检测，又提供了基于荧光的细胞计数，能够以卓越的性能对CTC进行表型筛选和定量分析。
