Techniques for
cancer cell separation and retrieval from peripheral blood are not only used to prevent
cancer metastasis, but also to understand its underlying mechanisms. We developed a surface-modified membrane with high specificity for
cancer cells.
Ethanolamine groups were introduced to the surface of the
nylon net filter, and human
colon cancer cell line Colo201 cells were suspended in peripheral blood derived from healthy volunteers. Subsequently, these blood samples were transmitted through 20 surface-modified
nylon filters. The number of
cancer and blood cells in the blood samples was calculated using flow cytometry before and after filtering.
Nylon net filters coated with
ethanolamine groups trapped approximately 90% of the Colo201 cells, while unmodified
nylon net filters were unable to trap them. On the other hand, no significant differences were observed in the filtration rate of hematocyte components between the unmodified
nylon net filter and the
nylon net filter coated with
ethanolamine groups. These data indicate that
nylon net filters coated with
ethanolamine groups are able to trap Colo201 cells at a higher specificity than unmodified
nylon net filters, effectively isolating and removing them from the blood, and suggest the potential benefits of the prevention of
metastasis,
cancer assessment and examination technologies as essential pre-treatment strategies.