Cell-Capture and Release Platform Based on Peptide-Aptamer-Modified Nanowires

Nanowires have attracted much attention due to their potential bioapplications, such as delivery of drugs or sensing devices. Here we report the development of a unique cell-capture and release platform based on nanowires. The combination of nanowires, surface-binding peptides, and cell-targeting aptamers leads to specific and efficient capture of cancer cells. Moreover, the binding processes are reversible, which is not only useful for downstream analysis but also for reusability of the substrate. Our work provides a new method in the design of the cell-capture and release platform, which may open up new opportunities of developing cell-separation and diagnosis systems based on cell-capture techniques.