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RosetteSep™ is a rapid cell separation procedure for the isolation of purified cells directly from whole blood, without columns or magnets.
How does RosetteSep™ work?
The antibody cocktail crosslinks unwanted cells to red blood cells (RBCs), forming rosettes. The unwanted cells then pellet with the free RBCs when centrifuged over a density centrifugation medium (e.g. Ficoll-Paque™ PLUS, Lymphoprep™).
What factors affect cell recovery?
The temperature of the reagents can affect cell recovery. All reagents should be at room temperature (sample, density centrifugation medium, PBS, centrifuge) before performing the isolations. Layering can also affect recovery so be sure to carefully layer the sample to avoid mixing with the density centrifugation medium as much as possible. Be sure to collect the entire enriched culture without disturbing the RBC pellet. A small amount of density centrifugation medium can be collected without worry.
Which cell samples can RosetteSep™ be used with?
RosetteSep™ can be used with leukapheresis samples, bone marrow or buffy coat, as long as: the concentration of cells does not exceed 5 x 107 per mL (can dilute if necessary); and there are at least 100 RBCs for every nucleated cell (RBCs can be added if necessary).
Can RosetteSep™ be used with previously frozen or cultured cells?
Yes. Cells should be re-suspended at 2 - 5 x 107 cells / mL in PBS + 2% FBS. Fresh whole blood should be added at 250 µL per mL of sample, as a source of red cells.
Can RosetteSep™ be used to enrich progenitors from cord blood?
Yes. Sometimes cord blood contains immature nucleated red cells that have a lower density than mature RBCs. These immature red cells do not pellet over Ficoll™, which can lead to a higher RBC contamination than peripheral blood separations.
Does RosetteSep™ work with mouse cells?
No, but we have developed EasySep™, a magnetic-based cell isolation system which works with mouse and other non-human species.
Which anticoagulant should be used with RosetteSep™?
Peripheral blood should be collected in heparinized Vacutainers. Cord blood should be collected in ACD.
Should the anticoagulant be washed off before using RosetteSep™?
No, the antibody cocktail can be added directly to the sample.
A fixation-compatible protocol for intracellular and surface marker-based detection of circulating tumor cells in hepatocellular carcinoma
B. Zhu et al.
Scientific Reports 2025 Nov
Abstract
Circulating tumor cell (CTC) detection in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is limited not only by the rarity of CTCs but also by a heavy reliance on cell surface markers such as EpCAM, which are variably expressed or lost during tumor progression. Detecting intracellular markers, such as cytokeratin offers an important complementary and comprehensive strategy but remains technically limited in flow cytometry due to the need for fixation and permeabilization, which often lead to cell loss and surface epitope damage. In this study, we systematically evaluated the feasibility of using fixed samples for flow cytometry, using HepG2 cells, PBMCs, and CTCs from patients with HCC. Our results demonstrate that fixation enabled intracellular staining without compromising cell surface marker detection, even after short-term storage at 4 °C and long-term storage at -80 °C. Fixed samples, particularly fixed unfrozen, exhibited comparable staining performance to fresh samples with only a 7–10% reduction in cell recovery. Clinical validation in HCC patients confirmed successful CTC detection, and tumor-specific CTNNB1 mutations were identified in CTC-derived DNA but not in matched plasma cfDNA. These findings support fixed CTC sample workflows as a reliable and practical approach for CTC analysis in HCC.
Digoxin promotes anoikis of circulating cancer cells by targeting Na + /K + -ATPase α3-isoform
Y. Numata et al.
Cell Death & Disease 2025 May
Abstract
Circulating cancer cells (CCCs) are closely related to the process of distant metastasis. In early step of the metastasis cascade, CCCs must evade the detachment-induced cell death (anoikis) for their survival. Here, we examined whether Na + /K + -ATPase α3-isoform (α3NaK) in CCCs contributes to avoidance of anoikis. In CCCs isolated from gastric cancer patients, α3NaK was predominantly localized in the plasma membrane (PM), but it moved to the cytoplasm when the CCCs were attached to culture dishes. The CCCs showed significant expression of integrin α5 but not fibronectin, one of components of the extracellular matrix (ECM). In human gastric cancer MKN45 cells, digoxin (20 and 50 nM), a cardiac glycoside, significantly inhibited the enzyme activity and translocation (from cytoplasm to PM) of α3NaK, while they had no significant effect on ubiquitous Na + /K + -ATPase α1-isoform (α1NaK) in the PM. The translocation of α3NaK required the loss of ECM components from the cells. Additionally, digoxin significantly enhanced caspase 3/7 activity, as well as the expression of cleaved caspase 3, while reducing the viability of detached (floating) cells. In the MKN45 xenograft mouse model, intraperitoneal administration of digoxin (2 mg/kg/day) significantly decreased the number of CCCs and suppressed their liver metastasis. Our results suggest that α3NaK plays an essential role in the survival of CCCs in gastric cancer, and that digoxin enhances anoikis in detached (metastatic) gastric cancer cells by inhibiting the α3NaK translocation from cytoplasm to PM, thereby reducing CCCs. Targeting α3NaK may be a promising therapeutic strategy against CCC survival. Subject terms: Metastasis, Gastric cancer, Apoptosis
Rapid Recovery and Short‐Term Culture of Gastric Circulating Tumor Cells Using Microcavity Array
T. Yoshino et al.
Engineering in Life Sciences 2025 Jun
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) hold significant promise for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment monitoring. We previously developed a technique for a single‐cell filtering device known as the microcavity array (MCA), specifically designed for the efficient recovery of CTCs from whole blood samples. Efficient enrichment and release of cells from the MCA remains challenging because of cell adhesion that occurs on the MCA surface during the enrichment phase. This study investigated the effects of surface modification with 2‐methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) on the recovery efficiency of cancer cell lines from MCA. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) demonstrated reduced cell‐substrate interactions, leading to improved recovery efficiency. Comparative analyses showed that the MCA method provided superior recovery efficiency and reduced processing time compared to traditional methods such as density gradient centrifugation (DGC), while maintaining cell viability and proliferative capacity. CTCs were successfully detected in patients with gastric cancer, and short‐term cultures were achieved even when fewer than 20 CTCs per milliliter of blood were isolated. These findings emphasize the importance of surface modification for enhancing CTC isolation and the need for optimized culture conditions. The optimized MCA method offers a promising approach for rapid CTC recovery and potential integration with automated systems. Practical application : The Microcavity array (MCA) is a device specifically designed for efficient recovery of CTCs from whole blood. However cell adhesion on the MCA surface can limit release efficiency. This study demonstrated that surface modification with MPC signigicantly reduces cell‐substrate adhesion, improving recovery efficiency while maintaining cell viability and proliferative capacity. Compared to traditional density gradient centrifugation, the MPC‐modified MCA offers shorter processing time and better performance. CTCs were successfully detected in gastric cancer, and short‐term cultures were achieved even when fewer than 20 CTCs per mL of blood were isolated. The method supports downstearm applications such as cancer cell characterization and treatment monitoring. With potential for integration into automated system, the optimized MCA provides a practical, scalable solution for clinical liquid biopsy and personalized oncology.
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