Encapsulation and Release of Circulating Tumor Cells Using 3D DNA Hydrogels

To minimize the concomitant cell damage in the capture process of circulating tumor cells(CTCs) in conventional methods, Zuo et al. proposed to use aptamer-trigger-clamped hybridization chain reaction method to encapsulate CTCs by in-situ forming 3D DNA hydrogel. The 3D porous DNA hydrogel on cell membrane minimizes cell damage, and the CTCs can be readily released by the ATP triggered dis-assembly of DNA hydrogel for subsequent culture and live cell analysis. This work has been published online in the Nature Protocols in June 22, 2020.