Method for detecting circulating tumour cells (CTCs)
AssigneesUniversità degli Studi di Udine, Stitching Katholieke Universiteit
InventorsGiacinto Scoles, Fabio Del Ben, Matteo Turetta, Wilhelm Huck, Aigars Piruska
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a method for detecting circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in body fluids, preferably in blood and lymph. In particular, the method for detecting circulating tumor cells in a body fluid comprises a step of detecting a change in pH and/or in a concentration of at least one molecule selected from lactic acid, lactate ions and protons within an isolated volume of said body fluid in which a cell has been encapsulated.
Claims11
A method for detecting at least one circulating tumour cell in a body fluid comprising the following steps:
- encapsulating cells of said body fluid, wherein said cells are in an encapsulated volume of about 10 pL to 10 nL of said body fluid;
- incubating said encapsulated volume at a temperature from 4° C. to 37° C. for at least 1 minute to provide an incubated volume;
- and
- detecting a change in pH and/or in concentration of at least one molecule selected from the group consisting of lactic acid, lactate ions, and protons within said incubated volume;
- wherein a decrease in pH and/or an increase in concentration of said at least one molecule, with respect to pH and/or concentration of said at least one molecule determined for said encapsulated volume before said incubation step, indicates said at least one circulating tumour cell is present in said body fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.