Abstract:
Chemically modified metal surfaces have been used to recognize and capture specific cell
types and biomolecules. In this work, stainless steel wires were functionalized with aptamers
against breast cancer stem cell markers. Stainless steel wires were first electropolished and
silanized via electrodeposition. Aptamers were then attached to the silanized surface through
a cross-linker. The functionalized wires were able to capture the target cells in an in vitro
test. During surface modification steps, wires were analyzed by atomic force microscopy,
cyclic voltammetry, scanning electron and fluorescence microscopy to determine their surface
composition and morphology. Optimized conditions of silanization (applied potential, solution pH,
heat treatment temperature) for obtaining an aptamer-functionalized wire were determined in this
work together with the use of several surface characterization techniques suitable for small-sized
and circular wires. These modified wires have potential applications for the in vivo capture of
target cells in blood flow, since their small size allows their insertion as standard guidewires in
biomedical devices.