Highlighting the uniqueness in dielectrophoretic enrichment of circulating tumor cells

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) play an essential role in the metastasis of tumors, and thus can serve as a valuable prognostic factor for malignant diseases. As a result, the ability to isolate and characterize CTCs is essential. This review underlines the potential of dielectrophoresis for CTCs enrichment. It begins by summarizing the key performance parameters and challenges of CTCs isolation using microfluidics. The two main categories of CTCs enrichment—affinity‐based and label‐free methods—are analysed, emphasising the advantages and disadvantages of each as well as their clinical potential. While the main argument in favour of affinity‐based methods is the strong specificity of CTCs isolation, the major advantage of the label‐free technologies is in preserving the integrity of the cellular membrane, an essential requirement for downstream characterization. Moving forward, we try to answer the main question: “What makes dielectrophoresis a method of choice in CTCs isolation?” The uniqueness of dielectrophoretic CTCs enrichment resides in coupling the specificity of the isolation process with the conservation of the membrane surface. The specificity of the dielectrophoretic method stems from the differences in the dielectric properties between CTCs and other cells in the blood: the capacitances of the malignantly transformed cellular membranes of CTCs differ from those of other cells. Examples of dielectrophoretic devices are described and their performance evaluated. Critical requirements for using dielectrophoresis to isolate CTCs are highlighted. Finally, we consider that DEP has the potential of becoming a cytometric method for large‐scale sorting and characterization of cells.     

Isolation of tumor cells using size and deformation

The isolation and analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from blood are the subject of intense research. Although tests to detect metastasis on a molecular level are available, progress has been hampered by a lack of tumor-specific markers and predictable DNA abnormalities. The main challenge in this endeavor is the small number of available cells of interest, 1–2 per mL in whole blood. We have designed a micromachined device to fractionate whole blood using physical means to enrich for and/or isolate rare cells from peripheral circulation. It has arrays of four successively narrower channels, each consisting of a two-dimensional array of columns. Current devices have channels ranging in width from 20 to 5 μm, and in depth from 20 to 5 μm. Several optimizations resulting in the fabrication of a total of 10 derivative devices have been carried out; only two types are used in this study. Both have increasingly narrower gap widths between the columns along the flow axis with 20, 15, 10, and 5 μm spacing all on one device. The first 20 μm wide segment disperses the cell suspension and creates an evenly distributed flow over the entire device, whereas the others were designed to retain increasingly smaller cells. The channel depth is constant across the entire device, the first type was 10 μm deep and the second type is 20 μm deep. When cells from each of eight tumor cell lines were loaded into the device, all cancerous cells were isolated. In mixing experiments using human whole blood, we were able to fractionate cancer cells without interference from the blood cells. Additionally, either intact cells, or DNA, could be extracted for molecular analysis. The ultimate goal of this work is to characterize the cells on the molecular level to provide non-invasive methods to monitor patients, stage disease, and assess treatment efficacy. Furthermore, this work will use gene expression profiles to gain insights into metastasis.     

Synthesis of poly(arylene ethylene) oligomeric hydroperoxides and their use as initiating agents of radical polymerization

The oxidation to hydroperoxide of poly(arylene ethylenes) (PAE) by oxygen carried out in solutions at 80–110°C. The effect of initiating additions and the nature of solvent relative to the content of hydroperoxide groups in oxidized PAE were investigated. The oxidation to hydroperoxides in PAE occurs at the methylene groups, and the synthesized hydroperoxides are secondary peroxides. The decomposition of PAE hydroperoxides in toluene and chlorobenzene at concentrations of 0.006–0.03 mole/l. for hydroperoxide in the presence and absence of N-phenyl-α-naphthylamine (PNA) was studied. The decomposition of one hydroperoxide has been studied in the presence of cobaltous and manganese resinates and of PNA in chlorobenzene at 30–50°C. The addition of PNA to a chlorobenzene solution of PAE hydroperoxide containing cobaltous or manganese resinate accelerates the hydroperoxide decomposition, reduces the activation energy, and changes the reaction order from the second-order to first-order. The synthesized hydroperoxides initiate the radical polymerization of styrene and methyl methacrylate. The initiating activity of one of the synthesized hydroperoxides of PAE for polymerization of styrene (60°C) in the presence and absence of activating addition of manganese resinate was also evaluated.     

High-throughput dielectrophoretic manipulation of bioparticles within fluids through biocompatible three-dimensional microelectrode array

Dielectrophoresis (DEP) has been deemed as a potential and ideal solution for bioparticle manipulation. A 3-D carbon micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) fabricated from the latest developed carbon-MEMS approach has advantages of offering low-cost, biocompatible and high-throughput DEP manipulation for bioparticles. In this paper, a typical process for fabrication of various 3-D microelectrode configurations was demonstrated; accurate numerical analysis was presented on electric field gradient distribution and DEP force based on various microelectrode array configurations. The effects of electrode edge angle, electrode edge-to-edge spacing and electrode height on the electric field distributions were investigated, and optimal design considerations and rules were concluded through analysis of results. The outcomes demonstrate that the sharp edge electrode is more effective in DEP manipulation and both electrode edge-to-edge spacing and electrode height are critical design parameters for seeking optimal DEP manipulation. The gradient magnitude increases exponentially as the electrode spacing is reduced and the electric field extends significantly as the electrode height increases, both of which contribute to a higher throughput for DEP manipulation. These findings are consistent with experimental observations in the literature and will provide critical guidelines for optimal design of DEP devices with 3-D carbon-MEMS.     

New 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone derivatives from agarwood and their inhibitory effects on tumor cells

Abstract

Two new chromone derivatives, 7-hydroxy-2-[2-(3'-methoxy-4'-hydroxyphenyl)-ethyl]chromone (1), and 6,7-dimethoxy-2-[2-(3'-hydroxyphenyl)-ethyl]chromone (2) were isolated from the EtOH extract of agarwood of Aquilaria sinensis, together with eleven known analogues. Their structures were established by detailed HR-ESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analysis, as well as comparison with the literature data. Selected the isolates (1, 2, 4–8, 10, 11) were tested for their antitumor activities against SMMC-7721, MGC-803 and OV-90 cell lines using the MTT method with cisplatin and paclitaxel as the positive control. All the tested compounds showed weak cytotoxic activities with IC₅₀ values ranged from 18.82 to 37.95 µg/ml.     

Continuous separation of cells by balanced dielectrophoretic forces at multiple frequencies

We present a particle-sorting device based on the opposition of dielectrophoretic forces. The forces are generated by an array of electrode chambers located in both sidewalls of a main flow channel. Particles with different dielectric response perceive different force magnitudes and are therefore continuously focused to different streamlines in the flow channel. We relate the particles' dielectric response to their output position in the downstream channel. We demonstrate the performance of the device by separating a mixed yeast cell population into pure fractions of viable and nonviable cells. Finally, we use the device to enrich red blood cells infected with Babesia bovis, a major pathogen in cattle and simultaneously confirm the hypothesis that infection with B. bovis causes significant changes in the dielectric response of red blood cells.     

Highly controlled electrofusion of individually selected cells in dielectrophoretic field cages

The prospect of novel therapeutic approaches has renewed the current interest in the fusion of rare cells, like stem cells or primary immune cells. While conventional techniques are only capable of mass fusion, lab-on-a-chip systems often still lack an acceptable method for making the cells available after processing. Here, we present a microfluidic approach for electrofusion on the single-cell level that offers high control over the cells both before and after fusion. For cell pairing and fusion, we employed dielectrophoresis and AC voltage pulses, respectively. Each cell has been characterized and selected before they were paired, fused and released from the fluidic system for subsequent analysis and cultivation. The successful experimental evaluation of our system was further corroborated by numerical simulations. We obtained fusion efficiencies of more than 30% for individual pairs of mouse myeloma and B cell blasts and showed the proliferating ability of the hybrid cells 3 d after fusion. Since aggregates of more than two cells can be fused, the technique could also be developed further for generating giant cells for low-noise electrophysiology in the context of semi-automated pharmaceutical screening procedures.     

Lateral dielectrophoretic microseparators to measure the size distribution of blood cells

Lateral displacement of blood cells occurred when they were passed over a planar interdigitated electrode array placed at an angle to the direction of flow, and was determined to be a function of cell size. A simplified line charge model was used to estimate numerically the lateral displacement. Based on the size-specific lateral displacement, a lateral dielectrophoretic (DEP) microseparator was developed to measure the size distribution of blood cells using fluorescence microscopy. To determine whether the lateral DEP microseparator was useful, it was used to detect acute leukemia by measuring the size distribution of blood cells. The lateral DEP microseparator provided a practical method for continuously and simultaneously separating multi-cell populations by size from a heterogeneous cell population. In the future, sensitivity of the lateral DEP microseparator could be improved and it could be automated by integrating subsequent advanced detection technologies in a micro-format.     

Isolation of bioactive allelochemicals from sunflower (variety Suncross-42) through fractionation-guided bioassays

Plants are rich source of biologically active allelochemicals. However, natural product discovery is not an easy task. Many problems encountered during this laborious practice can be overcome through the modification of preliminary trials. Bioassay-directed isolation of active plant compounds can increase efficiency by eliminating many of the problems encountered. This strategy avoids unnecessary compounds, concentrating on potential components and thus reducing the cost and time required. In this study, a crude aqueous extract of sunflower leaves was fractionated through high performance liquid chromatography. The isolated fractions were checked against Chenopodium album and Rumex dentatus. The fraction found active against two selected weeds was re-fractionated, and the active components were checked for their composition. Thin layer chromatography isolated a range of phenolics, whereas the presence of bioactive terpenoids was confirmed through mass spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.     

N(4)-tolyl-2-benzoylpyridine-derived thiosemicarbazones and their palladium(II) and platinum(II) complexes: Cytotoxicity against human solid tumor cells

Complexes [Pt(2Bz4oT)Cl], [Pt(2Bz4mT)Cl], and [Pt(2Bz4pT)Cl] were prepared with N(4)-ortho-(H2Bz4oT), N(4)-meta-(H2Bz4mT), and N(4)-para-(H2Bz4pT) tolyl-2-benzoylpyridine-derived thiosemicarbazones. The thiosemicarbazones exhibited moderate anti-proliferative activity against HepG2 (hepatoma) and UACC-62 (melanoma) cancer cell lines, but showed high anti-proliferative effect against A431 (epithelial carcinoma) cancer cell lines. Upon coordination to platinum(II) the anti-proliferative activity decreases in all cases. The cytotoxicity of the previously prepared palladium(II) analogues [Pd(2Bz4oT)Cl], [Pd(2Bz4mT)Cl], and [Pd(2Bz4pT)Cl] was also investigated. As in the case of the platinum(II) complexes, coordination to palladium(II) did not lead to activity improvement. Investigations on the mechanism of cytotoxic action against A431 cells revealed that [Pd(2Bz4oT)Cl] induced DNA fragmentation and apoptosis while H2Bz4oT did not present this effect. The high anti-proliferative effect of the thiosemicarbazones and [Pd(2Bz4oT)Cl] against A431 cells, together with the pro-apoptotic effect of [Pd(2Bz4oT)Cl] suggests that these compounds have potential as chemotherapeutic drug candidates.     

Ultrasmall c(RGDyK)-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles and their specific targeting to integrin alpha(v)beta3-rich tumor cells

We report a direct synthesis of ultrasmall c(RGDyK) peptide-coated Fe3O4 NPs (<10 nm in hydrodynamic diameter) and demonstrate their in vivo tumor-specific targeting capability. The Fe3O4 NPs are synthesized by thermal decomposition of iron pentacarbonyl in the presence of 4-methylcatechol (4-MC), and the peptide is coupled to the nanoparticles through 4-MC via Mannich reaction. The c(RGDyK)-MC-Fe3O4 NPs have an overall diameter of approximately 8.4 nm and are stable in physiological conditions. When administrated intravenously, these c(RGDyK)-MC-Fe3O4 NPs accumulate preferentially in the integrin alphavbeta3-rich tumor area, which are readily tracked by MRI.     

Enrichment of putative stem cells from adipose tissue using dielectrophoretic field-flow fractionation

We have applied the microfluidic cell separation method of dielectrophoretic field-flow fractionation (DEP-FFF) to the enrichment of a putative stem cell population from an enzyme-digested adipose tissue derived cell suspension. A DEP-FFF separator device was constructed using a novel microfluidic-microelectronic hybrid flex-circuit fabrication approach that is scaleable and anticipates future low-cost volume manufacturing. We report the separation of a nucleated cell fraction from cell debris and the bulk of the erythrocyte population, with the relatively rare (<2% starting concentration) NG2-positive cell population (pericytes and/or putative progenitor cells) being enriched up to 14-fold. This work demonstrates a potential clinical application for DEP-FFF and further establishes the utility of the method for achieving label-free fractionation of cell subpopulations.     

Isolation of neural precursor cells from skeletal muscle tissues and their differentiation into neuron-like cells

Skeletal muscle contains several precursor cells that generate muscle, bone, cartilage and blood cells. Although there are reports that skeletal muscle-derived cells can trans-differentiate into neural-lineage cells, methods for isolating precursor cells, and procedures for successful neural induction have not been fully established. Here, we show that the preplate cell isolation method, which separates cells based on their adhesion characteristics, permits separation of cells possessing neural precursor characteristics from other cells of skeletal muscle tissues. We term these isolated cells skeletal muscle-derived neural precursor cells (SMNPs). The isolated SMNPs constitutively expressed neural stem cell markers. In addition, we describe effective neural induction materials permitting the neuron-like cell differentiation of SMNPs. Treatment with retinoic acid or forskolin facilitated morphological changes in SMNPs; they differentiated into neuron-like cells that possessed specific neuronal markers. These results suggest that the preplate isolation method, and treatment with retinoic acid or forskolin, may provide vital assistance in the use of SMNPs in cell-based therapy of neuronal disease.     

Examination of the dielectrophoretic spectra of MCF7 breast cancer cells and leukocytes

The detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in blood is crucial to assess metastatic progression and to guide therapy. Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is a powerful cell surface marker-free method that allows intrinsic dielectric properties of suspended cells to be exploited for CTC enrichment/isolation from blood. Design of a successful DEP-based CTC enrichment/isolation system requires that the DEP response of the targeted particles should accurately be known. This paper presents a DEP spectrum method to investigate the DEP spectra of cells without directly analyzing their membrane and cytoplasmic properties in contrast to the methods in literature, which employ theoretical assumptions and complex modeling. Integrating electric field simulations based on DEP theory with the experimental data enables determination of the DEP spectra of leukocyte subpopulations, polymorphonuclear and mononuclear leukocytes, and MCF7 breast cancer cells as a model of CTC due to their metastatic origin over the frequency range 100 kHz–50 MHz at 10 V_pp. In agreement with earlier findings, differential DEP responses were detected for mononuclear and polymorphonuclear leukocytes due to the richness of the cell surface features and morphologies of the different leukocyte types. The data reveal that the strength of the DEP force exerted on MCF7 cells was particularly high between 850 kHz and 20 MHz. These results illustrate that the proposed technique has the potential to provide a generic platform to identify DEP responses of different biological particles.     

Optimization of lipospheres production by factorial design and their performances on a dielectrophoretic lab-on-a-chip platform

Aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the preparation parameters on the characteristics of lipospheres that would optimally fit to a lab-on-a-chip platform. Lipospheres were produced by melt dispersion technique using different lipid mixture heated to 70 °C and then emulsified into an external aqueous phase. The initial part of the work was devoted to the selection of the best lipid composition by a classical intuitive approach while the optimization and the screening of the experimental parameters were conducted through a “design of experiments”. Once the best preparation parameters were selected, they were adopted also for the production of cationic lipospheres (CLS). The second part of the study describes the analysis of the lipospheres performances when applied to a DEParray™Chip. The loading, distribution, movement and separation of neutral and cationic lipospheres were investigated. The obtained data show that both neutral and cationic lipospheres can be efficiently used in association with DEParray™Chip.     

Gene delivery by electroporation after dielectrophoretic positioning of cells in a non-uniform electric field

We report the use of dielectrophoresis (DEP) to position U-937 monocytes within a non-uniform electric field, prior to electroporation (EP) for gene delivery. DEP positioning and EP pulsing were both accomplished using a common set of inert planar electrodes, micro-fabricated on a glass substrate. A single-shell model of the cell's dielectric properties and finite-element modeling of the electric field distribution permitted us to predict the major features of cell positioning. The extent to which electric pulses increased the permeability of the cell membranes to fluorescent molecules and to pEGFPLuc DNA plasmids were found to depend on prior positioning. For a given set of pulse parameters, EP was either irreversible (resulting in cytolysis), reversible (leading to gene delivery), or not detectable, depending on where cells were positioned. Our results clearly demonstrate that position-dependent EP of cells in a non-uniform electric field can be controlled by DEP.     

Single-cell level point mutation analysis of circulating tumor cells through droplet microfluidics

Tumor heterogeneity plays a critical role in the determination of appropriate anticancer therapy. As circulating tumor cells(CTCs) contain all tumor-related information, the genetic changes on CTCs could help us choose the appropriate treatments for different patients. Single-base mutations are very common in tumor genetic changes which may result in drug resistance. Here, we introduce a single-cell mutation detection platform based on droplet microfluidics. This platform integrates cell capsula...     

Single-cell level point mutation analysis of circulating tumor cells through droplet microfluidics

Tumor heterogeneity plays a critical role in the determination of appropriate anticancer therapy. As circulating tumor cells(CTCs) contain all tumor-related information, the genetic changes on CTCs could help us choose the appropriate treatments for different patients. Single-base mutations are very common in tumor genetic changes which may result in drug resistance. Here, we introduce a single-cell mutation detection platform based on droplet microfluidics. This platform integrates cell capsula...     

Controlled polymerization and self-assembly of halogen-bridged diruthenium complexes in organic media and their dielectrophoretic alignment

Lipophilic paddlewheel biruthenium complexes [Ru(2)(μ-O(2)CR)(3)X](n) (O(2)CR = 3,4,5-tridodecyloxybenzoate, X = Cl, I) self-assemble in organic media to form halogen-bridged coordination polymers. The polymerization is accompanied by spectral changes in π(RuO,Ru(2)) → π*(Ru(2)) and π(axial ligand) → π*(Ru(2)) absorption bands. These polymeric complexes form lyotropic liquid crystals in n-decane at concentrations above ~100 unit mM. The bridging halogen axial ligands (X = Cl or I) exert significant influences on their electronic structures and self-assembling characteristics: the chloride-bridged polymers give hexagonally aligned ordered columnar structure (columnar hexagonal phase, Col(h)), whereas the iodide-bridged polymers form less ordered columnar nematic (Col(n)) phase, as revealed by small-angle X-ray diffraction measurements. Chloro-bridged coordination polymers dispersed in n-decane are thermally intact even at the elevated temperature of 70 °C. In contrast, iodo-bridged polymers show reversible dissociation and reassembly phenomena depending on temperature. These halogen-bridged coordination polymers show unidirectional alignment upon applying alternating current (ac) electric field as investigated by crossed polarizing optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The unidirectionally oriented columns of chloro-bridged polymers are accumulated upon repetitive application of the ac voltage, whereas iodo-bridged coordination polymers show faster and reversible alignment changes in response to turning on-and-off the electric field. The controlled self-assembly of electronically conjugated linear complexes provide a potential platform to design electric field-responsive nanomaterials.     

Isolation, characterization and expression of the complementary DNA for human tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha)

A cDNA for human TNF-alpha (615bp) was isolated by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using first strand cDNA from PMA-induced HL-60 cells as template. The result from sequencing the 615 bp cDNA fragment indicated that it corresponded to the entire sequence of mature human TNF coding region. Direct expression of mature human TNF was achieved using a plasmid pHT-1 constructed by ligation of the cDNA and a synthetic DNA. The IPTG-induced bacterial product (hTNF) showed cytotoxicity to mouse L-929 cells. The TNF activity was further identified by neutralization of a specific monoclonal antibody against human TNF-alpha. Approximately 80,000 units of activity were detected per ml of culture at A600 = 2.