Researchers at MIT, together with Johns Hopkins, have created a handheld microfluidic device that can gently harvest living cells from precise tissue locations without destroying the surrounding material. The 3D‑printed chip forms a vacuum seal against the tissue; one syringe creates negative pressure to hold the device in place, while a second syringe pushes fluid through the channel, generating shear stress that detaches cells from the surface. By adjusting the shear stress, the system can be tuned for different cell types—for example, prostate cancer cells detach at about 1 Pa, whereas bone cancer cells require up to 5 Pa.
In proof‑of‑concept experiments, the device was applied to fresh human fallopian tube specimens. Viable cells were collected, cultured, and subsequently grown into organoids for drug testing and disease modeling. Compared with the conventional workflow—chemical fixation, sectioning, and microscopy—the new method preserves cell viability and dramatically improves culture success rates.
Potential applications include: (1) targeted sampling of excised tissue to augment histopathology; (2) integration with optical imaging to first locate suspicious regions and then collect live cells, enabling earlier cancer detection; (3) future in‑vivo swabbing for minimally invasive sampling, providing real‑time cellular information for personalized therapy. The team plans to initially focus on ex‑vivo tissue to streamline regulatory approval before exploring in‑vivo use.
The project is funded by the Break Through Cancer Foundation and brings together expertise in mechanical engineering, materials science, and biological engineering to address the urgent need for earlier detection and individualized treatment of lethal cancers such as ovarian cancer.
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