A Magnetic Bead Assay for Rapid Isolation and Identification of Circulating Tumor Cells

Project SummaryThis Small Business Innovation Research Phaseproject will develop a magnetic bead assay that enables rapid isolation and detection of circulating tumor cellsResearch on circulating tumor cellsCTCsthe metastatic precursors in the bloodstreamcan potentially be pivotal in managing this disease as it aids in early cancer detectionpersonalized medicine and minimal residual disease monitoringCompared to fresh tissue biopsyliquid biopsyof CTCs in blood samples is much more accessible and affordableand is much less invasiveDuring the past ten yearsCTCs have received enormous attention as new biomarkers and the subject of basic researchTherefore the development of a highly sensitiveeasy to implement and costeffective assay to detect single intact CTCs will have wide applications in bioscience research as well as potential clinical benefitThe ultimate goal of this research is to develop a highly sensitive and easy toimplement assay to isolate single CTC from patient blood for early cancer detectiontreatment monitoringdisease progression and potentially cancer diagnosis Project Narrative This SBIR Phase I project aims to develop a magnetic bead assay for rapid isolation and detection of circulating tumor cellsCTCsThe ultimate goal of this research is to develop a highly sensitiveeasy toimplement and cost effective assay for single CTC isolation and analysis that has clinical potential for cancer diagnosis or prognosis