Isolating of Pancreatic Circulating Tumor Cells using Lectin Chip

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18H01844
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 28050:Nano/micro-systems-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo (2020); Nagoya University (2018-2019)
• Principal Investigator: Masuda Taisuke 東京大学, 大学院工学系研究科(工学部), 特任准教授 (30431513)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: BioMEMS / 血中循環腫瘍細胞 / レクチン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To achieve analysis of CTCs at the single-cell level, we have applied the meniscus-induced microfluidic device, rare cell sorter. However, size-based isolation causes missing of smaller cells. In this paper, we proposed an open-channel chip that immobilized a specific lectin to assist size-based cell isolation. Immobilized lectins was used to bind a glycoprotein of pancreatic cancer cell. The micropillar immobilized with specific lectins are isolated into pancreatic cancer cells and other cells. The lectin chip with BC2 lectin provided high isolation rate as around 7 times improved from negative control. We succeeded in individually isolating and recovering pancreatic circulating tumor cells using combined a novel lectin chip and a rare cell sorter. Thus, making hybrid method for cell isolation, we hope that open-channel microfluidic chip expand the application area, such as pre-treatment for single cell analysis.

Free Research Field

生体医工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

膵臓がんは遠隔臓器に転移する傾向があるため，多くの血中循環腫瘍細胞が存在することが知られている．しかし，これまでモノクローナル抗体を用いた分離方法では，補足効率が低く，大きな成果を得られていない．その理由は，膵がんCTCの多くは上皮間葉転換を示し，EpCAM発現が弱く（もしくは陰性），さらにサイトケラチンも低発現であることが考えられている．本研究では，細胞表面に無数に存在する糖鎖と結合するレクチンタンパク質に着目し，レクチンをマイクロポストに固定化させたチップによる膵がん細胞の分離実験を行った.その結果，細胞サイズと標的糖鎖を用いた細胞分離の有用性が新たに見出された．