具有EMT表型或肿瘤样干性的循环肿瘤细胞（CTCs）是肿瘤转移根源。CTCs计数或CTCs分子表征谱的检测对早期转移预警和个体化诊治具有重要价值。由于缺乏特异性靶向分子，肝癌CTCs或其分子表征谱的临床检测进展缓慢。我们前期应用cell-SELEX 技术筛选出特异结合高转移肝癌细胞的适配子LY-1，该适配子耦联量子点的分子探针可识别高转移肝癌细胞，该适配子耦联磁颗粒的复合物可从外周血模拟环境中捕获肝癌CTCs。本项目拟以适配子靶向识别、微流控芯片细胞捕获和量子点荧光标记成像，建立肝癌CTCs检测新方法。适配子修饰在微流控芯片纳米结构表面，高灵敏、高特异的捕获肝癌CTCs并计数，捕获的细胞释放后在芯片上培养以进一步鉴定CTCs 的分子表征谱。该研究将为开发适配子功能化微流控芯片提供佐证，为CTCs分子表征谱鉴定和基于分子表征谱的肝癌CTCs检测以及基于CTCs的肝癌"液体活检"提供实验依据。

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) with EMT phenotype and tumor-like characteristics are the metastatic origin of carcinoma. CTCs counting and/or detection of CTCs molecule expression profiling are of great importance for detecting tumor metastasis in early stage and individualized diagnosis and treatment. Due to the lack of specific targeting molecules, clinical detection of circulating HCC cells or its molecular expression profiling processed slowly. In our previous study, we have screened aptamer which is specifically binding to HCC cells with highly metastatic potential by cell-SELEX. When conjugated with fluorescent nanoparticles QDs, the aptamer - QD conjugates could specifically recognize highly metastatic HCC cells. Furthermore, the aptamer - magnetic particles conjugates could effectively detect and extract metastatic HCC cells from complex mixture whole blood. So, in this project, we plan to establish a new diagnostic approach for detecting circulating HCC cells by using a combination of triple steps- - -specific capture by microfluidic chip, target recognition by aptamers, and precisely labeling by quantum dots for sensitive imaging. In other words, circulating HCC cells can be captured and counted by aptamers conjugated on the nanostructure that is coated on the surface of microfluidic chip. Then, in order to further identify their molecular expression profiling, these captured cells will be released and cultured on chips. Either way, our research will provide useful evidence for developing aptamer functionalized microfluidic chip; moreover, it will also serve to identify molecular expression profiling of CTCs and further diagnosis. Of great importance, our work will also provide strong support for developing HCC "liquid biopsy" based on detecting circulating hepatocarcinoma cells in an aptamer-and-quantum-based integrated microchip system.