Chip-based nanostructured sensors enable accurate identification and classification of circulating tumor cells in prostate cancer patient blood samples

The identification and analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is an important goal for the development of noninvasive cancer diagnosis. Here we describe a chip-based method using nanostructured microelectrodes and electrochemical readout that confirms the identity of isolated CTCs and successfully interrogates them for specific biomarkers. We successfully analyze and classify prostate tumor cells, first in cultured cells, and ultimately in a pilot study involving blood samples from 16 prostate cancer patients as well as additional healthy controls. In all cases, and for all biomarkers investigated, the novel chip-based assay produced results that agreed with polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The approach developed has a simple workflow and scalable multiplexing, which makes it ideal for further studies of CTC biomarkers.