Circulating Tumor Cell Detection and Capture by Photoacoustic Flow Cytometry in Vivo and ex Vivo

Despite progress in detecting circulating tumor cells (CTCs), existing assays still have low sensitivity (1–10 CTC/mL) due to the small volume of blood samples (5–10 mL). Consequently, they can miss up to 103–104 CTCs, resulting in the development of barely treatable metastasis. Here we analyze a ne...

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Main Authors: Ekaterina I. Galanzha, Vladimir P. Zharov
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2013-12-01
Series:Cancers
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/5/4/1691
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author Ekaterina I. Galanzha
Vladimir P. Zharov
author_facet Ekaterina I. Galanzha
Vladimir P. Zharov
author_sort Ekaterina I. Galanzha
collection DOAJ
description Despite progress in detecting circulating tumor cells (CTCs), existing assays still have low sensitivity (1–10 CTC/mL) due to the small volume of blood samples (5–10 mL). Consequently, they can miss up to 103–104 CTCs, resulting in the development of barely treatable metastasis. Here we analyze a new concept of in vivo CTC detection with enhanced sensitivity (up to 102–103 times) by the examination of the entire blood volume in vivo (5 L in adults). We focus on in vivo photoacoustic (PA) flow cytometry (PAFC) of CTCs using label-free or targeted detection, photoswitchable nanoparticles with ultrasharp PA resonances, magnetic trapping with fiber-magnetic-PA probes, optical clearance, real-time spectral identification, nonlinear signal amplification, and the integration with PAFC in vitro. We demonstrate PAFC’s capability to detect rare leukemia, squamous carcinoma, melanoma, and bulk and stem breast CTCs and its clusters in preclinical animal models in blood, lymph, bone, and cerebrospinal fluid, as well as the release of CTCs from primary tumors triggered by palpation, biopsy or surgery, increasing the risk of metastasis. CTC lifetime as a balance between intravasation and extravasation rates was in the range of 0.5–4 h depending on a CTC metastatic potential. We introduced theranostics of CTCs as an integration of nanobubble-enhanced PA diagnosis, photothermal therapy, and feedback through CTC counting. In vivo data were verified with in vitro PAFC demonstrating a higher sensitivity (1 CTC/40 mL) and throughput (up to 10 mL/min) than conventional assays. Further developments include detection of circulating cancer-associated microparticles, and super-rsesolution PAFC beyond the diffraction and spectral limits.
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spelling doaj.art-3726fcdf7add4266bc365e57f6a1febe2023-09-02T16:20:32ZengMDPI AGCancers2072-66942013-12-01541691173810.3390/cancers5041691cancers5041691Circulating Tumor Cell Detection and Capture by Photoacoustic Flow Cytometry in Vivo and ex VivoEkaterina I. Galanzha0Vladimir P. Zharov1Phillips Classic Laser and Nanomedicine Laboratories, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205, USAPhillips Classic Laser and Nanomedicine Laboratories, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205, USADespite progress in detecting circulating tumor cells (CTCs), existing assays still have low sensitivity (1–10 CTC/mL) due to the small volume of blood samples (5–10 mL). Consequently, they can miss up to 103–104 CTCs, resulting in the development of barely treatable metastasis. Here we analyze a new concept of in vivo CTC detection with enhanced sensitivity (up to 102–103 times) by the examination of the entire blood volume in vivo (5 L in adults). We focus on in vivo photoacoustic (PA) flow cytometry (PAFC) of CTCs using label-free or targeted detection, photoswitchable nanoparticles with ultrasharp PA resonances, magnetic trapping with fiber-magnetic-PA probes, optical clearance, real-time spectral identification, nonlinear signal amplification, and the integration with PAFC in vitro. We demonstrate PAFC’s capability to detect rare leukemia, squamous carcinoma, melanoma, and bulk and stem breast CTCs and its clusters in preclinical animal models in blood, lymph, bone, and cerebrospinal fluid, as well as the release of CTCs from primary tumors triggered by palpation, biopsy or surgery, increasing the risk of metastasis. CTC lifetime as a balance between intravasation and extravasation rates was in the range of 0.5–4 h depending on a CTC metastatic potential. We introduced theranostics of CTCs as an integration of nanobubble-enhanced PA diagnosis, photothermal therapy, and feedback through CTC counting. In vivo data were verified with in vitro PAFC demonstrating a higher sensitivity (1 CTC/40 mL) and throughput (up to 10 mL/min) than conventional assays. Further developments include detection of circulating cancer-associated microparticles, and super-rsesolution PAFC beyond the diffraction and spectral limits.http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/5/4/1691in vivo flow cytometrymetastasiscirculating tumor cellsphotoacoustic methodphotothermal imagingCTC assay ex vivo/in vitro
spellingShingle Ekaterina I. Galanzha
Vladimir P. Zharov
Circulating Tumor Cell Detection and Capture by Photoacoustic Flow Cytometry in Vivo and ex Vivo
Cancers
in vivo flow cytometry
metastasis
circulating tumor cells
photoacoustic method
photothermal imaging
CTC assay ex vivo/in vitro
title Circulating Tumor Cell Detection and Capture by Photoacoustic Flow Cytometry in Vivo and ex Vivo
title_full Circulating Tumor Cell Detection and Capture by Photoacoustic Flow Cytometry in Vivo and ex Vivo
title_fullStr Circulating Tumor Cell Detection and Capture by Photoacoustic Flow Cytometry in Vivo and ex Vivo
title_full_unstemmed Circulating Tumor Cell Detection and Capture by Photoacoustic Flow Cytometry in Vivo and ex Vivo
title_short Circulating Tumor Cell Detection and Capture by Photoacoustic Flow Cytometry in Vivo and ex Vivo
title_sort circulating tumor cell detection and capture by photoacoustic flow cytometry in vivo and ex vivo
topic in vivo flow cytometry
metastasis
circulating tumor cells
photoacoustic method
photothermal imaging
CTC assay ex vivo/in vitro
url http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/5/4/1691
work_keys_str_mv AT ekaterinaigalanzha circulatingtumorcelldetectionandcapturebyphotoacousticflowcytometryinvivoandexvivo
AT vladimirpzharov circulatingtumorcelldetectionandcapturebyphotoacousticflowcytometryinvivoandexvivo