Summary
The project develops a label-free screening method for early cancer detection. The aim is to detect and isolate circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from blood samples as a basis for minimally invasive, tumor-agnostic multi-cancer diagnostics.
Background / Problem Statement
A key driver of the high mortality associated with cancer is late diagnosis. Effective early detection requires new screening approaches that can reliably identify malignancies at early stages and be applicable across different cancer types. Circulating tumor cells in blood offer substantial diagnostic potential, but their extremely low abundance and biological heterogeneity impose significant technological demands on detection and separation methods.
Project Objective
The objective is to develop a method for the label-free detection and isolation of transformed cells from pre-enriched blood samples. To this end, a microfluidic measurement system will be implemented that singles cells, physically characterizes them, and selectively isolates them. The method is intended to be usable independently of tumor type, stage, and molecular properties.
