Multi-DNA-Modified Double-Network Hydrogel with Customized Microstructure: A Novel System for Living Circulating Tumor Cells Capture and Real-Time Detection

The precise and effective isolation of living circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from peripheral blood, followed by their real-time monitoring, is crucial for diagnosing cancer patients. In this study, a cell-imprinted double-network (DN) hydrogel modified with circular multi-DNA (CMD), coined the CMD-imprinted hydrogel with fixed cells as templates (CMD-CIDH), was developed. The hydrogel featured a customized surface for proficient capture of viable CTCs and in situ real-time fluorescent detection without subsequent release. The customized surface, constructed using polyacrylamide/chitosan DN hydrogel as the matrix on the cell template, had a dense network structure, thereby ensuring excellent stability and a low degradation rate. Optimal capture efficiencies, recorded at 93 ± 3% for MCF-7 cells and 90 ± 2% for Hela cells, were achieved by grafting the CMD and adjusting the nodule size on the customized surface. The capture efficiency remained significantly high at 67 ± 11% in simulated breast cancer patient experiments even at a minimal concentration of 5 cells mL–1. Furthermore, CMD grafted onto the surface produced a potent fluorescence signature, enabling in situ real-time fluorescent detection of the target cell's growth state even in complex environments. The customized surface is highly efficient for screening CTCs in peripheral blood and has promising potential for setting up the CTCs culture.