Aptamer-Based Lab-on-Chip for Cancer Cell Isolation and Detection

The isolation and detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), when these are few in number or small in mass, can enable early cancer detection [1]. Currently, most research endeavors to isolate circulating tumor cells rely on antibodies and immunohistochemistry [2,3]. Aptamer are alternative molecules that have affinities and specificities that are comparable to those of antibodies [4,5], but these can be more readily adapted to many applications [6–9], including lab-on-a-chip devices. Here, we report use of a novel epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) aptamer biochip to identify and isolate cancer cells that overexpress EGFR. These results provide a solid basis for the development of diagnostic devices that can readily identify and isolate CTCs.