The Challenge We Set Out to Solve
Metastasis: the spread of cancer from its primary site to distant organs accounts for a staggering 90% of all cancer-related deaths. At the heart of this process are Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs): rare cells shed by primary tumours into the bloodstream that act as the seeds of metastatic spread. Capturing and reducing these cells from circulation represents one of the most promising and underexplored frontiers in oncology.
This study demonstrates a novel approach to doing exactly that:- using a specially designed dynamic blood flow device to selectively capture CTCs directly from a patient’s blood.
The OncoDialysis Assay and Our 3D Glass Substrate Device
Our team designed a bi-spiral, plano-horizontal, optically transparent blood circulation device fabricated using a 3D printer with biocompatible resin, featuring multiple channels for continuous blood flow. The device holds 17.5 mL of blood across 14 loops and contains 680 glass substrates (2mm diameter) conjugated with two highly specific affinity ligands:
- Anti-EpCAM antibody: targeting the Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule expressed on the surface of epithelial-origin CTCs
- Transferrin (Tf) protein: a complementary ligand that enhances capture specificity and sensitivity
Three pumps mechanise continuous blood circulation through the device, and the entire system was evaluated for systemic toxicity and pyrogenicity in a rigorous ISO:10993-11 animal safety study in New Zealand White rabbits – with all animals remaining healthy and showing no adverse temperature responses throughout.
What We Found
The study processed 27 blood samples from patients with early and late-stage cancers across 9 cancer types, including colorectal, lung, breast, and ovarian cancers.
- The OncoDialysis assay successfully captured CTCs in 48.15% of patients (n=13/27), isolating a total of 14 CTCs, including 12 individual CTCs and 2 CTC clusters from blood volumes of just 1–5 mL
- When compared against the CDSCO-approved OncoDiscover platform, a strong 74.07% concordance was observed between the two platforms for CTC capture
- No blood haemolysis was observed at any point, confirming the biocompatibility and safety of the device for clinical use
- CTCs were validated using CK18 and CD45 markers and verified through fluorescence microscopy, confirming their epithelial tumour origin
Why This Matters
Beyond diagnostics, this work opens a profound new therapeutic possibility. If CTCs can be captured and reduced from circulation ; not just detected, then blood-based CTC load reduction could one day become a therapeutic strategy in its own right, helping to slow or prevent metastatic invasion and improve overall survival in patients with epithelial-origin cancers, both with and without concurrent therapy.
This study represents an important proof of concept for that vision and a meaningful step toward a future where liquid biopsy is not just a window into cancer, but a tool to fight it.
Published at the ASCO Annual Meeting 2025 | DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2025.43.16_suppl.e15029
Presented by Jayant Khandare, PhD | Actorius Innovations and Research | Publication Only: Developmental Therapeutics:- Molecularly Targeted Agents and Tumor Biology
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