Diagnosis of breast cancer recurrence using a microfluidic device featuring tethered cationic polymers

In this study, we grafted pH-responsive poly(2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) onto a Si substrate as the medium in a microfluidic device to detect breast cancer recurrence DNA (bcrDNA584) and a control human genomic DNA (hgDNA528) at extremely low concentrations (down to 0.15 ng/mu l). The quantities of these two DNAs obtained through the capture and release from tethered PDMAEMA brushes under pH tuning conditions were sufficient for them to be amplified recognizably, suggesting that this approach could be used in miniaturized lab-on-a-chip cartridges for rapid disease diagnosis. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3608239]