Development of cancer diagnostic system by liquid biopsy targeting on circulating tumor cells in blood

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H06078
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Intelligent mechanics/Mechanical systems
• Research Institution: Kumamoto University
• Principal Investigator: Nakashima Yuta 熊本大学, 大学院先端科学研究部(工), 准教授 (70574341)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: がん診断デバイス / リキッドバイオプシー / 血中循環腫瘍細胞 / バイオマイクロデバイス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research objective is to develop a microfilter for specifically capturing the cancer cells in the blood. To achieve this goal, a 3D deformable microfilters were fabricated using photolithography technique and precisely electro forming technique. The surface of this microfilter was modified the nucleic acid aptamer for selectively capture the cancer cell. The cancer cell capturing test was carried out using the fabricated microfilter. The cancer cells were significantly captured compared with the normal cells by the fabricated microfilter. Also, we carried out the cancer cell capturing test using the cancer cell spiked whole blood. As a results, we succeeded in the small amount of cancer cells in the whole blood can be captured by the fabricated microfilter. This result was also good performance compared with CellSearch System that is already commercially available apparatus.

Free Research Field

知能機械学・機械システム

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で構築したデバイスは、手のひらサイズで誰でも簡単に使用できるものであり、使用する核酸アプタマーも化学合成が可能であるため抗体を使うシステムに比べて大幅にコストを下げることができる。また、数mLの血液を送液するだけの簡単操作かつ短時間で癌を検出することが可能であり、病院で行われる予後診断のみならず、職場や学校で行われる定期健診での癌検診の実現に貢献することができ、社会的意義は大きい。超高齢社会を迎えた日本の医療費高騰という課題に対しても、簡便・高速・低コストでの癌診断の意義は大きい。