Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are extremely low-frequency cells in the bloodstream. As those cells have detached from the primary tumor tissues and it circulates throughout the whole body, they are considered as promising diagnostic biomarkers for clinical application. However, the analysis of CTC is often restricted due to their rarity and heterogeneity, as well as their short-term presence. Here we proposed formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) CTC block method, in combination manner with the hydrogel core-mediated CTC accumulation and conventional paraffin tissue block preparation. The hydrogel core specifically captures and releases cancer cells with high efficiency with an immunoaffinity manner. An additional shell structure protects the isolated cancer cells during the FFPE CTC block preparation process. The fabricated FFPE CTC block was sectioned and cytopathologically investigated just the same way as the conventional tissue block. Our results demonstrate that rare cells such as CTCs can also be prepared for FFPE cell blocks and shows great promise for cytopathological CTC studies.
Highlights
Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) biological specimens have been widely used to study diseases with cost-effectiveness and long-term native molecular-state preservation ability [1,2,3]
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), defined as cancer cells detached from the primary tumor site, have been considered as one of the proposing biomarkers to suggest information of the primary tumor status and/or metastatic potential [5,6,7]
Anti-EpCAM antibody-immobilized onto hydrogel cores were utilized to accumulate cancer cells from the sample, and they were covered again using an identical component of hybrid hydrogel layer to protect the cancer cells from the physical or chemical attacks during the FFPE sample preparation process
Summary
Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) biological specimens have been widely used to study diseases with cost-effectiveness and long-term native molecular-state preservation ability [1,2,3]. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), defined as cancer cells detached from the primary tumor site, have been considered as one of the proposing biomarkers to suggest information of the primary tumor status and/or metastatic potential [5,6,7]. Since they are in small quantity (less than in order of 10 CTCs in 1 mL of patients’ blood samples) and have low Micromachines 2021, 12, 1128.
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