Chemical Engineering @ChemengFiles.Com

A pivotal clinical trial published in the January 2009 issue of the journal Gynecologic Oncology demonstrated the usefulness of combining the test for Fujirebio Diagnostics HE4 and CA125 to help estimate the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer in premenopausal women and postmenopausal showing a pelvic mass. The HE4 test, reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration U.S. (FDA) to successfully stratified patients into groups of high and low risk when combined with
CA125.

The test results using the combination of two simple blood tests - CA125 and HE4 - and the Risk of Ovarian Malignancy Algorithm (ROMA (TM)) to identify patients at high risk for ovarian cancer. The CA125 is the current gold standard for monitoring patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The HE4 test was recently approved by the FDA as an aid to monitor the recurrence of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), the most common type of ovarian cancer. Combining HE4 and CA125 test can help doctors identify before surgery to patients at high risk of malignancy.

A pivotal clinical trial published in the January 2009 issue of the journal Gynecologic Oncology demonstrated the usefulness of combining the test for Fujirebio Diagnostics HE4 and CA125 to help estimate the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer in premenopausal women and postmenopausal showing a pelvic mass. The HE4 test, reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration U.S. (FDA) to successfully stratified patients into groups of high and low risk when combined with
CA125.

The test results using the combination of two simple blood tests - CA125 and HE4 - and the Risk of Ovarian Malignancy Algorithm (ROMA (TM)) to identify patients at high risk for ovarian cancer. The CA125 is the current gold standard for monitoring patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The HE4 test was recently approved by the FDA as an aid to monitor the recurrence of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), the most common type of ovarian cancer. Combining HE4 and CA125 test can help doctors identify before surgery to patients at high risk of malignancy.

A team led by researcher at the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) Belén Peral has conducted the first comparative analysis of protein expression between the two adipose tissues of the human body, subcutaneous fat and omental fat, one that accumulates in the peritoneum (membrane that lines the abdomen) and, according to recent studies, is more related to abdominal obesity and various metabolic diseases that are due to excess weight. The work has appeared prominently in Journal of Proteome Research.

Peral, who works at the Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols (CSIC joint center and the Autonomous University of Madrid), has worked with groups from the Hospital Josep Trueta de Girona, CIBER of Obesity (CIBERobn) and the National Center for Cardiovascular Research Madrid.

A team led by researcher at the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) Belén Peral has conducted the first comparative analysis of protein expression between the two adipose tissues of the human body, subcutaneous fat and omental fat, one that accumulates in the peritoneum (membrane that lines the abdomen) and, according to recent studies, is more related to abdominal obesity and various metabolic diseases that are due to excess weight. The work has appeared prominently in Journal of Proteome Research.

Peral, who works at the Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols (CSIC joint center and the Autonomous University of Madrid), has worked with groups from the Hospital Josep Trueta de Girona, CIBER of Obesity (CIBERobn) and the National Center for Cardiovascular Research Madrid.

In this thesis, I have developed elastomeric microfabricated cell sorting devices using a micromachining technology, "soft lithography". Inexpensive elastomeric microfabricated devices were designed to replace flow chambers in conventional fluorescence-activatived cell sorters (FACS). Sorting of cells and other particles was accomplished via different means of flow control. My early work of cell sorting on these devices was accomplished using electrokinetic flow. However, in order to alleviate problems associated with electrokinetic flow, the microfabricated cell sorter was integrated with microvalves and micropumps for pneumatic actuation control. The integrated cell sorter has better capabilities of fine-tuning the flow control, manipulating single cells and is less harmful to the cells than electrokinetic flow. Substantial enrichments of beads and cells were accomplished on these devices. Novel sorting algorithms, which can only be implemented in microfabricated devices, were also demonstrated. Compared with conventional FACS, these microfabricated devices allow for more sensitive optical detection for bacterial cells and DNA, innovative sorting schemes and are disposable to eliminate any cross-contamination from previous runs. Ultimately, these elastomeric microfluidic flow cells provide an inexpensive, robust and effective way to perform cell sorting and can be used as stand-alone devices or as a part of an integrated system for diagnostics and/or cytometric measurements.

Presently, the microfabricated cell sorter is enjoying new applications in various fields for high throughput screening, including directed evolution, digital genetic circuits, microbiology and cell biology of gene expression and regulation. In addition, this sorter is not limited only to the detection of optical signals. I have attached the sorter to a high resolution magnetometer, a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) microscope, to obtain cytometric data of the magnetic field strengths of magnetotactic bacteria as they flowed through the device.

In this thesis, I have developed elastomeric microfabricated cell sorting devices using a micromachining technology, "soft lithography". Inexpensive elastomeric microfabricated devices were designed to replace flow chambers in conventional fluorescence-activatived cell sorters (FACS). Sorting of cells and other particles was accomplished via different means of flow control. My early work of cell sorting on these devices was accomplished using electrokinetic flow. However, in order to alleviate problems associated with electrokinetic flow, the microfabricated cell sorter was integrated with microvalves and micropumps for pneumatic actuation control. The integrated cell sorter has better capabilities of fine-tuning the flow control, manipulating single cells and is less harmful to the cells than electrokinetic flow. Substantial enrichments of beads and cells were accomplished on these devices. Novel sorting algorithms, which can only be implemented in microfabricated devices, were also demonstrated. Compared with conventional FACS, these microfabricated devices allow for more sensitive optical detection for bacterial cells and DNA, innovative sorting schemes and are disposable to eliminate any cross-contamination from previous runs. Ultimately, these elastomeric microfluidic flow cells provide an inexpensive, robust and effective way to perform cell sorting and can be used as stand-alone devices or as a part of an integrated system for diagnostics and/or cytometric measurements.

Presently, the microfabricated cell sorter is enjoying new applications in various fields for high throughput screening, including directed evolution, digital genetic circuits, microbiology and cell biology of gene expression and regulation. In addition, this sorter is not limited only to the detection of optical signals. I have attached the sorter to a high resolution magnetometer, a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) microscope, to obtain cytometric data of the magnetic field strengths of magnetotactic bacteria as they flowed through the device.