Engineered hollow magnetic nanoparticles based on whole blood purifier for efficient capture and elimination of circulating tumor cells.

The efficient elimination of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) within the peripheral bloodstream holds crucial scientific significance in mitigating cancer recurrence and metastasis. However, capturing and killing CTCs in vascular tissue always cause damage to normal blood cells, tissues, and organs. Hence, an in vitro isolation and enrichment system (IES) based on the blood purification has been developed, aiming to elimination of CTCs from peripheral blood. This device is designed with an antibody-modified magnetic adsorbent (Fe-Mn-EpCAM) filled into a capture column. It works by extracting peripheral blood from the body, passing it through the column to selectively isolate CTCs, and then immediately re-infusing the purified blood back into the body. It effectively reduces CTCs from peripheral blood, reducing the risk of metastasis. Importantly, the captured CTCs retain viability and can be successfully re-cultured in vitro, facilitating downstream analysis and precision medicine. Furthermore, the IES treatment does not cause any organic damage in vivo. This study demonstrates promise as an effective clinical adjunct therapy for tumor metastasis.