Development of microfluidic device for monitoring circulating tumor cells

• Grant number: 17/25937-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Effective date (Start): August 01, 2018
• Effective date (End): July 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Analytical Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Valber de Albuquerque Pedrosa
• Grantee: Valber de Albuquerque Pedrosa
• Host Investigator: Z. Hugh Fan
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IBB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil
• Research place: University of Florida, Gainesville (UF), United States

Abstract

A typical tumor contains millions of cells that has genetic mutations leading them to grow, divide and invade healthy local tissue. However, as the cells proliferate, not all are located in the same space. Some cells separate from the borders of a tumor and they are carried by the blood or lymphatic system. Recently, monitoring of these cells known as circulating tumor cells has increased interest in the biomedical and health areas as they transmit a wide variety of chemical and biological signals that can produce a preventive clinical diagnosis. Therefore, the focus of this project is the development of microfluidic devices integrated with specific aptamers to study circulating prostate cancer cell tumor cells in blood and urine samples. We will use specific aptamers for prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) and Prostate Cancer Gene 3 (PCA3) in a device where the cellular microenvironment can be precisely defined by providing new perspectives on the molecular events of metabolism and clinical analysis of patients invasive and accurate. (AU)