Paper-based electrochemical cyto-device for sensitive detection of cancer cells and in situ anticancer drug screening

In this work, using human acute promyelocytic leukemia cells (HL-60) as a model, a novel microfluidic paper-based electrochemical cyto-device (μ-PECD) was fabricated to demonstrate a facile, portable, and disposable approach for cancer cell detection and in situ screening of anticancer drugs in a high-throughput manner. In this μ-PECD, aptamers modified three-dimensional macroporous Au-paper electrode (Au-PE) was fabricated and employed as the working electrode for specific and efficient cancer cell capture as well as for sequential in-electrode 3D cell culture. This Au-PE showed enhanced capture capacity for cancer cells and good biocompatibility for preserving the activity of captured living cells. Sensitive cancer cell detection was achieved in this μ-PECD, which could respond down to four HL-60 cells in 10 μL volume with a wide linear calibration range from 5.0 × 10² to 7.5 × 10⁷ cells mL⁻¹ and exhibited good stability and reproducibility. Then, in situ anticancer drug screening was successfully implemented in this μ-PECD through monitoring of the apoptotic cancer cells after the in-electrode 3D cell culture with drug-containing culture medium, demonstrating its wide range of potential applications to facilitate effective clinical cancer diagnosis and treatment.