Development of a potential TiO₂-nanofiber platform for isolation of Circulating tumor cells of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignancy susceptible to local recurrence and distant metastasis. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) was reported to be associated with cancer prognosis. However, the technique of isolation of CTCs still remains challenging. The aim of this study was to develop an effective platform for isolation of CTCs of NPC. Methods: Self-organized titanium oxide (TiO₂) nanofibers of different densities were fabricated by electrospinning method. Anti-EpCAM antibodies were further conjugated on the TiO₂ nanofibers to capture NPC CTCs in vitro and evaluated by immunofluorescence. Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) was utilized for observation of cell morphology. Results: The results demonstrated that high-density TiO₂ nanofibers showed better NPC CTCs capturing performance than the low-density ones. Besides, SEM revealed good contact of CTCs with TiO₂ nanofibers. Moreover, TiO₂ nanofibers prepared with higher concentration of anti-EpCAM antibody showed better cell capturing ability. Conclusion: The high-density TiO₂ nanofibers conjugated with anti-EpCAM antibodies can capture the CTCs of NPC effectively, which may have the potential for future clinical application.