A dielectrophoresis‐based platform of cancerous cell capture using aptamer‐functionalized gold nanoparticles in a microfluidic channel

Abstract

In this paper, a microfluidic chip for the manipulation and capture of cancer cells was introduced, in which the combination of dielectrophoresis (DEP) and a binding method based on chemical interactions by using cell‐specific aptamers was performed to enhance the capture strength and specificity. The device has been simply constructed from a straight‐channel PDMS placed on a glass substrate that has patterned electrode structures and a self‐assembled monolayer of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The target cells were transported to the manipulation area by flow and attracted down to the region between the electrodes under the influence of positive DEP force. This approach facilitated subsequent selective capture by the modified aptamers on the AuNPs. The distribution of the electric field in the channel has also been simulated to clarify the DEP operation. As a result, the device has been shown to effectively capture target lung cancer cells with a concentration as low as 20.33em×0.33em1040.33em$2\ \ensuremath{\times{}}\ {10}^{4}\ $cells/mL. The capture specificity in a sample of mixed cells is up to 80.4%. This technique has the potential to be applied to detection methods for many types of cancer.

Enhancing the efficiency of lung cancer cell capture using microfluidic dielectrophoresis and aptamer‐based surface modification

“…It is important to note that the AuNPs can be positioned between two ITO electrodes, allowing the SH-aptamers to selectively bind in this specific area in the present study. This binding behavior, unlike previous investigations [27] where SH-aptamers could bind to both gold electrodes and AuNPs, will have an impact on subsequent measurements.…”

“…The DNA aptamer sequence adopted in this study was 5′-ACGCTCGGATGCCACTAC-AGGGTTGCATGCCGTGGGGAGGGGGTGGGTTTTAT-AGCGTACTCAGCTCATGGACGTGCTGGTGAC-3′-modified 5′-thiol (5′-C6SH) aptamer provided by MdBio, Inc. This aptamer has previously been shown to sensitively associate with A549 cells [26,27]. Two solutions were used: the binding buffer solution for the aptamer treatment and 8.62 wt% sucrose for all cell-related processes.…”

“…Wherein, the IDE was designed for DEP manipulation, whereas the SAM of AuNPs was employed for the modification of SH-aptamers. Details on the fabrication of channel and ITO electrodes can be found in our previous studies [27,28]. A procedure of SAM for AuNPs immobilization was performed on the glass surface, as also shown in our previous investigation [27].…”

“…Details on the fabrication of channel and ITO electrodes can be found in our previous studies [27,28]. A procedure of SAM for AuNPs immobilization was performed on the glass surface, as also shown in our previous investigation [27]. AuNPs were immobilized on a glass surface using SAM.…”

Design of a Low-Frequency Dielectrophoresis-Based Arc Microfluidic Chip for Multigroup Cell Sorting

“…Pouya Sharbati et al [ 20 ] proposed a novel microfluidic device that successfully isolated four types of cells, red blood cells, T-cells, U937-MC cells and Clostridium difficile bacteria, simultaneously by using two sets of electrodes, a cylindrical electrode and a sidewall rectangular electrode. Hien Vu-Dinh et al [ 21 ] designed microfluidic chips with serpentine channels and arrays of counter electrodes and used cell-specific aptamers to enhance the capture intensity, greatly increasing the accuracy of capturing lung cancer cells in low concentration solutions. Yanjuan Wang et al [ 22 ] designed four 3D rectangular stereoscopic electrodes, located at the four corners of the capture chamber, to achieve the capture and release of particles of specific diameters.…”