Biodegradable Polymer Nanofilms for Cancer Cell Isolation and Recovery

Title

Biodegradable Polymer Nanofilms for Cancer Cell Isolation and Recovery

Speaker

Prof. Wei Li (Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, USA)

Contact

wei.li@ttu.edu

Host

Prof. Kai Huang (GTIIT, Chemistry)

Time and Location

Mar. 04 2022, Friday, 11:00am-12:00pm,  E510 (Education Building, 5th floor)

Abstract

Selective isolation and purification of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from whole blood is an important capability for both clinical medicine and biological research. Current techniques to perform this task place the isolated cells under excessive stresses that reduce cell viability, and potentially induce phenotype change, therefore losing valuable information about the isolated cells. The goal of our work is to effectively isolate as well as non-inversely recover cancer cells using biodegradable multilayered polymer nanofilm. To this end, we have applied layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly to create a library of  ultrathin coatings using a broad range of materials through complementary interactions. We systematically studied the effect of various flow conditions and channel geometries on the thickness and surface roughness of the resulting films. We also investigated the biocompatibility and degradation behaviors of a series of enzymatically-degradable films made from naturally derived polymers. By developing an LbL nano-film coating with an affinity-based cell-capture surface that is capable of selectively isolating cancer cells from whole blood, and that can be rapidly degraded on command, we are able to gently isolate cancer cells and recover them without compromising cell viability or proliferative potential. This film system has been applied to two capture and release platforms: 1) microfluidic HB chip and 2) hollow glass microspheres. Detailed characterization on the film system was conducted via fluorescent microscopy, AFM, profilometer, TGA, QCM-D, immunofluorescent staining, etc. Our approach has the capability to overcome practical hurdles and provide viable cancer cells for downstream analyses.

Biography

Wei Li is an associate professor in the Chemical Engineering department at Texas Tech University. He obtained his Ph.D. in Polymer Chemistry and Materials at the University of Toronto. His doctoral thesis focused on the development of droplet-based microfluidic systems for complex reactions and processes. Following his graduate studies, he received a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Postdoctoral Fellowship to work with Prof. Paula Hammond at MIT. His work at MIT involved biomimetic 3D cell culture of pancreatic beta cells and layer-by-layer nanofilms for controlled released of anticancer drugs. Dr. Li’s research at Texas Tech is combine microfluidics and nanoassembly techniques to develop novel biofunctional polymer surfaces and microdevices for biological applications. His group is currently working on 3D cell microenvironments, organ-on-a-chip, cell separation, bio-imaging sensors, and cancer drug screening. His research has been funded by Cancer Prevention and Research Institute Texas (CPRIT), National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institute of Health (NIH).