Photocleavable Polymer for Selective Cell Lysis and Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for separating and analyzing circulating tumor cells from blood samples face challenges due to low recovery rates of target cells and high contamination with non-target cells, leading to impurities that interfere with precise molecular analysis.
Innovation Solution
A photocleavable polymer with a photocleavable linker and functional groups that bind to cell proteins, lipids, or sugars is used to reversibly fix cells, allowing for selective lysis by irradiation and subsequent treatment with a cell lysis solution, enabling the separation of target cells from non-target cells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional cell separation methods are used to increase recovery rate of target cells, then more target cells are recovered, but non-target cells are also separated which decreases purity of target cells
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by first fixing all cells in the sample using a photocleavable polymer before performing separation. This preliminary fixation step allows subsequent selective lysis of non-target cells through targeted irradiation, thereby achieving high purity recovery of target cells without losing them in the initial separation step
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional cell separation methods are used to increase purity of target cells, then non-target cells are removed, but recovery rate of target cells decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The photocleavable polymer acts as an intermediary substance that temporarily binds to all cells in the sample. This intermediary allows for selective manipulation - non-target cells can be selectively lysed by irradiating specific regions, while target cells remain protected by the polymer coating until deliberately released, thus achieving both high purity and high recovery rate
3Manufacturing precision
If fixed cells are irradiated to cleave photocleavable polymer and cell lysis solution is added, then selective lysis of irradiated cells is achieved, but non-irradiated cells remain intact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical or chemical separation systems with a photochemical system. Instead of using complex separation devices or multiple chemical treatments, the method uses light irradiation to trigger selective cleavage of the photocleavable polymer, followed by simple addition of cell lysis solution, thereby achieving selective cell lysis with relatively simple processing steps
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method allows for precise analysis of target cells while minimizing interference from non-target cells, improving the recovery rate and purity of target cells, thus enhancing the accuracy of molecular analyses.
Implementation Method 1
selectively irradiating the fixed cells or a target or non-target cell among the fixed cells to cleave the photocleavable polymer
Data Source
AI summary
A photocleavable polymer comprising a photocleavable linker and a polymer having a functional group that binds to a protein, lipid, sugar of a cell, or any combination thereof, as well as a method of selectively lysing cells by incubating a sample comprising two or more cells with the photocleavable polymer to reversibly fix the cells; selectively irradiating the fixed cells or a target or non-target cell among the fixed cells to cleave the photocleavable polymer; and adding a cell lysis solution to selectively lyse the irradiated cells.