Tumor Cell Deformation in Shear Flow

Chemotherapy or radiotherapy, suffer from a lack of specific targeting and consequent off-target effects. Nanomedicine holds the potential to minimize severe adverse side effects of anti-cancer therapy. Separation and detection of circulating tumor cells (CTC) has an important role in early cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Tumor cells are formed as adhesion of activated thrombocytes (platelets) with erythrocyte (red blood cells) which in turn adhere to endothelial cells of the walls of the arteries or capillaries. A grown tumor under high shear rate breaks into a small portion of tumor forms circulating tumor cells in the blood stream. Red blood cells (RBCs) from healthy individuals regulate T-cell activity through modulating cytokine interactions, and that stored RBCs or RBCs from inflammatory cohorts are dysfunctional. As a treatment, CTC are separated by fractionation, reacted with nanoparticles and injected back into the blood stream to prevent new tumor forming in other parts. Shear stresses existing in the cancerous surroundings have a profound effect on cancer cell/nanoparticle interaction. Activation of nanoparticle systems due to altered cancer cell metabolism is discussed by considering pH-, enzymatic-, and concentration-dependent activation.