U.S. scientists have established a highly sensitive microchips to identify the blood known as circulating tumor cells (CTC) - tiny fragments of the primary cancer declined and fell into the bloodstream by the journal Nature. The new device can detect isolate and count the number of these cells, as well as monitor their dynamics in the course of treatment, according to researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (Massachusetts General Hospital) and Harvard Medical School (Harvard Medical School) in Boston. CTC in the blood can lead to the development of metastases and identification of the spread of cancer outside the body. These particles are fragile and rare, and poorly defined using existing techniques. The technology, developed by scientists from Mehmet Toner (Mehmet Toner) may increase more sensitivity, so there. 'Utility The device is a silicon chip, the size of a plastic card, which is printed on the surface of the antibody. These antibodies are able to recognize a protein found on many cancer. If the blood flow along the chip, coats the surface existing tumor cells in it, such as glue. According to the researchers, the microchip one thousand recognize tumor cells in 60 billion blood cells contained in 8 ml tube of blood. Previously, scientists have not been able to find more than five tumor cells. The new device is on blood samples from 68 patients with metastatic cancer of the lung, prostate, tested breast, pancreas or intestine. Scientists say they have found CTC in 115 of 116 samples. In healthy people, these cells were not found. Furthermore, the test was sensitive enough to identify changes in CTC during treatment. Reduce the size of the tumor after the CT scanning, followed by a reduction of the CSC, said toner. According to scientists, the new technology can be used to monitor the efficacy of treatment. Moreover, it can be used for diagnostic purposes.
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