Worm-Based Microfluidic Biosensor for Real-Time Assessment of the Metastatic Status

摘要

We proposed a high-throughput screening and low-cost worm-based (WB) microfluidic biosensor to monitor biochemical cues related to metastasis. Caenorhabditis elegans placed in the WB biosensor chambers and exposed to samples conditioned with cancer cell clusters reflect differences in the chemotactic preference of worms. We observed a higher distribution of worms associated with samples of higher metastatic potential (p < 0.005). A chemotaxis index (CI) was defined to standardize the quantitative assessment from the WB biosensor, where increased metastatic potential was associated with higher CI levels (6.5 ± 1.37). We found that the secreted metabolite glutamate was a chemorepellent, and lower glutamate levels were associated with samples derived from more metastatic cancer cell clusters. In conclusion, WB biosensors could evaluate patient status in real time, thereby facilitating early detection of metastases and routine management.