Thread‐Designed Vascular Scaffold with Magneto‐Optical Probes Capture and Elimination of Circulating Tumor Cells In Vivo

Abstract

ABSTRACT Metastasis, responsible for over 90% of cancer‐related deaths, is largely fueled by circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Although eliminating CTCs could inhibit metastasis, the complex in vivo environment makes it difficult. Considerable progress of in vitro CTCs detection has been made, yet its translation into effective in vivo systems, particularly for large animals, continues to pose a substantial challenge. This study introduces a threaded vascular scaffold that creates a cell‐enrichment zone by modulating radial fluid velocity, enhancing cell axiality and providing an optimized environment for CTCs capture. In addition, hybrid membranes‐modified magnetic beads (HM‐MBs) loaded with indocyanine green and coated with tumor‐white cell membranes, enabling specific recognition and binding of CTCs. Under external magnetic guidance, CTCs bound to HM‐MBs are efficiently accumulated at the scaffold site, followed by near‐infrared light‐triggered activation of photodynamic and photothermal effects for targeted CTCs elimination. This integrated system effectively addresses key challenges in in vivo CTCs detection and removal. Experimental results in rabbit and goat vessels demonstrated high capture efficiencies of 60.3% and 54.7%, respectively, along with post‐irradiation elimination rates exceeding 90%. This integrated approach enables targeted in vivo CTCs capture and destruction, disrupting the metastatic cascade and offering a promising strategy for adjuvant cancer therapy.