A novel methodology for cancer diagnosis and treatment using new generation microfluidic devices: hydrodynamic cavitation on a chip

Official URL: https://risc01.sabanciuniv.edu/record=b2767139_(Table of contents)

Hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) is a phase change phenomenon, where energy release in a fluid occurs upon the collapse of bubbles, which form due to the low local pressures. Although macro-scale hydrodynamic cavitation has a very destructive effect due to the high released energy from the cavitation bubble explosion, damaging effects of cavitation could be minimized and utilized for biomedical applications through micro-scale hydrodynamic cavitation inside a miniaturized microfluidic device. Since microfluidic devices enable the performance of controlled experiments by enabling spatial control over the cavitation process and by precisely monitoring its evolution. Early cancer diagnosis and effective therapeutic technologies appears to be inevitable needs for the human health. In this regard, this thesis presents comprehensive investigation and analysis related to role of the HC on circulating tumor cell (CTC) detection and cancer treatment through in vitro studies by utilizing cell culture and human blood samples. Performed in vitro experiments demonstrate that micro-scale HC, which is an emerging tool in biological applications, is a promising approach to investigate different cellular responses and to increase the chemotherapeutic efficacy of the anticancer drug and to rapidly detect CTCs.