Metastasis remains a significant cause to cancer-related mortality, underscoring the critical need for early detection and analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). This study presents a novel microfluidic chip designed to efficiently capture A549 lung cancer cells by combining dielectrophoresis (DEP) and aptamer-based binding, thereby enhancing capture efficiency and specificity. The microchip features interdigitated electrodes made of indium-tin-oxide that generate a nonuniform electric field to manipulate CTCs. Following three chip design, scenarios were investigated: (A) bare glass surface, (B) glass modified with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) only, and (C) glass modified with both AuNPs and aptamers. Experimental results demonstrate that AuNPs significantly enhance capture efficiency under DEP, with scenarios (B) and (C) exhibiting similar performance. Notably, scenario (C) stands out as aptamer-functionalized surfaces resisting fluid shear forces, achieving CTCs retention even after electric field deactivation. Additionally, an innovative reverse pumping method mitigates inlet clogging, enhancing experimental efficiency. This research offers valuable insights into optimizing surface modifications and understanding key factors influencing cell capture, contributing to the development of efficient cell manipulation techniques with potential applications in cancer research and personalized treatment options.

中文翻译：

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使用微流控介电泳和基于适体的表面修饰提高肺癌细胞捕获的效率

转移仍然是癌症相关死亡的一个重要原因，这凸显了对循环肿瘤细胞（CTC）进行早期检测和分析的迫切需要。这项研究提出了一种新型微流控芯片，旨在通过结合介电泳（DEP）和基于适体的结合来有效捕获A549肺癌细胞，从而提高捕获效率和特异性。该微芯片采用由氧化铟锡制成的叉指电极，可产生不均匀电场来操纵 CTC。以下三种芯片设计对场景进行了研究：(A) 裸露玻璃表面，(B) 仅用金纳米粒子 (AuNP) 修饰的玻璃，以及 (C) 用 AuNP 和适体修饰的玻璃。实验结果表明，AuNPs 显着提高了 DEP 下的捕获效率，场景 (B) 和 (C) 表现出相似的性能。值得注意的是，场景 (C) 突出为适体功能化表面抵抗流体剪切力，即使在电场失活后也能实现 CTC 保留。此外，创新的反向泵送方法可减轻入口堵塞，提高实验效率。这项研究为优化表面修饰和了解影响细胞捕获的关键因素提供了宝贵的见解，有助于开发高效的细胞操作技术，并在癌症研究和个性化治疗方案中具有潜在的应用。