Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, United States, have developed an innovative device that uses Velcro-like nanoscale technology to identify and “grab” circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the blood. CTCs play a crucial role in cancer metastasis, which is the most common cause of cancer-related death in patients with solid tumors. It occurs when tumor cells leave the primary tumor site and travel through the blood stream to set up colonies in other parts of the body. The new approach developed by the UCLA researchers is based on the team’s earlier development of “fly-paper” technology, but could be even faster and cheaper than existing methods, and it captures a greater number of CTCs. The new device is also easier to handle than its first-generation counterpart, and is more user-friendly. “This new CTC technology has the potential to be a powerful new tool for cancer researchers, allowing them to study cancer evolution by comparing CTCs with the primary tumor and the distant metastases that are most often lethal,” said Dr. Kumaran Duraiswamy, a graduate of UCLA Anderson School of Management who became involved in the project while in school. “When it reaches the clinic in the future, this CTC-analysis technology could help bring truly personalized cancer treatment and management.” The team’s work was featured on the cover of this month’s edition of the journal Angewandte Chemie. The article can be viewed online at the link below.
http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/ucla-researchers-create-nano-velcro-193056.aspx