UCLA scientists at the California NanoSystems Institute have developed a more efficient and cost-effective method to extract and analyze cancer cells from a patient’s blood.
The NanoVelcro Chip, which is about the size of a postage stamp, contains wires 1,000 times thinner than a human hair. These tiny wires are coated with antibodies that recognize and adhere to tumor cells. When researchers induce temperature changes in a blood sample, the physical properties of the wire change as well, allowing the chip to either capture or release the cells when needed.
This device and purification technique may allow doctors to better analyze cancer cells and tailor their treatments to individual patients.
Compiled by Nikki Somani, Bruin reporter.