lmmunonanoparticle Optical Sensor for CTC Detection

Innosense, Llc, Torrance CA

Investigators

Abstract

Cancer remains one of the most prevalent diseases to date. Detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the vasculature has been identified as a promising method for determination of cancer risk, cancer prognosis, and determination of the effect of therapy. This proposal aims to establish the feasibility of a system for optical detection of CTCs that could be used in a point-of-care setting. Nanoparticles doped with near-infrared fluorophores and with high affinity to the cancer cells will be utilized for tagging CTCs in blood samples. The nanoparticles will provide high signal amplification for ultrasensitive detection. Phase I will focus on the evaluation of the diagnostic setup using body fluids spiked with CTCs. Phase II will develop a prototype and optimize the system for detection of patient samples. This project is expected to result in a small and rapid sensor that could be used at a physician's office or at small diagnostic laboratories, and which could become essential for the diagnosis and management of cancer patients.