Improved device provides more rapid, comprehensive analysis of circulating tumor cells
Wednesday, March 31, 2010 - 15:28
in Health & Medicine
Technical improvements to a microchip-based device for detecting and analyzing tumor cells in the bloodstream are revealing cellular differences that may reflect a tumor's aggressiveness and long-term response to treatment. A report from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Engineering in Medicine in the March 31 Science Translational Medicine describes refinements to the MGH-developed CTC-chip, which measures levels of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the blood stream, that may allow better monitoring of how CTC levels react to treatment for prostate cancer and reveal key biological properties of the cells.