Bioelectronic platform enables lectin-based enrichment of columnar 2 cell clusters for Barrett's oesophagus detection

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Pavagada, Suraj and Masque-Soler, Neus and Lu, Zixuan and Fu, Ying and Saez, Janire and Ustaoglu, Ahsen and Bistrovic Popov, Andrea and Zhuang, John Lizhe and Mela, Ioanna and Fruk, Ljiljana and Owens, Róisín M. and Fitzgerald, Rebecca C. (2025) Bioelectronic platform enables lectin-based enrichment of columnar 2 cell clusters for Barrett's oesophagus detection. Other. medRxiv, Cold Spring Harbor. (https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.06.17.25328546)

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Abstract

Enriching diagnostically relevant cells from heterogeneous clinical samples is critical for enabling accurate detection and molecular analysis. Bioelectronic platforms offer a promising approach to this challenge by combining selective capture with real-time, label-free monitoring. We focus on Barrett’s oesophagus (BE), a precursor to oesophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), where current non-endoscopic tools like the capsule-sponge yield samples dominated by background squamous cells, limiting diagnostic sensitivity. We present a bioelectronic enrichment platform that selectively captures and thermally releases columnar cells from capsule-sponge samples. The system employs a ring microelectrode array functionalised with the lectin ECA—identified here as a selective marker of columnar cells in BE—and coated with a thermo-responsive PEDOT-pNIPAAam polymer. Capture and detachment of cells were monitored using both electrochemical impedance and optical imaging, enabling real-time, label-free feedback. Applied to clinical samples, our platform enriched viable columnar cells, enhancing downstream molecular readouts. This approach integrates seamlessly with non-invasive sampling workflows and expands the utility of bioelectronic tools for early cancer diagnostics.

ORCID iDs

Pavagada, Suraj, Masque-Soler, Neus, Lu, Zixuan, Fu, Ying ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8196-6493, Saez, Janire, Ustaoglu, Ahsen, Bistrovic Popov, Andrea, Zhuang, John Lizhe, Mela, Ioanna, Fruk, Ljiljana, Owens, Róisín M. and Fitzgerald, Rebecca C.;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)