Tumor cell characterization and classification based on cellular specific membrane capacitance and cytoplasm conductivity

This paper reports a microfluidic system that enables the characterization of tumor cell electrical properties where cells were aspirated through a constriction channel (cross-section area smaller than that of biological cells) with cellular impedance profiles measured and translated to specific membrane capacitance (Cspecific membrane) and cytoplasm conductivity (σcytoplasm). Two batches of H1299 cells were quantified by the microfluidic platform with different constriction channel cross-section areas, recording no differences with statistical significance (p<0.001) in both Cspecific membrane (1.63±0.52 vs. 1.65±0.43 μF/cm2) and σcytoplasm (0.90±0.19 vs. 0.92±0.15 S/m), and thus confirming the reliability of the microfluidic platform. For paired high- and low-metastatic carcinoma strains 95D (ncell=537) and 95C cells (ncell=486), significant differences in both Cspecific membrane (2.00±0.43 vs. 1.62±0.39 μF/cm2) and σcytoplasm (0.88±0.46 vs. 1.25±0.35 S/m) were observed. Statistically significant difference only in Cspecific membrane (2.00±0.43 vs. 1.58±0.30 μF/cm2) was observed for 95D cells (ncell=537) and 95D CCNY-KD cells with single oncogene CCNY down regulation (ncell=479, CCNY is a membrane-associated protein). In addition, statistically significant difference only in σcytoplasm (0.73±0.17 vs. 1.01±0.17 S/m) was observed for A549 cells (ncell=487) and A549 CypA-KD cells with single oncogene CypA down regulation (ncell=597, CypA is a cytosolic protein). These results validated the developed microfluidic platform for Cspecific membrane and σcytoplasm quantification and confirmed the feasibility of using Cspecific membrane and σcytoplasm for tumor cell classification.