Popular Mechanics Magazine Recognizes CTC Device as 2008 Breakthrough Innovation Award

The Popular Mechanics fourth annual Breakthrough Awards were announced last week and Mehmet Toner, PhD and the Circulating Tumor Cell Device (CTC) was cited in the Science and Technology Division. The awards, sponsored by the Bristol Myers Squibb Company, celebrate innovations poised to change the world, and the personalities behind them.

The CTC device was developed here at the Massachusetts General Hospital in a collaborative effort between Toner and his team from the Biomicroelectromechanical Systems Resource Center and Daniel Haber, MD, PhD, from the Mass General Cancer Center. The CTC Device can capture microscopic cancer cells using nanofluidic technology and a small blood sample from cancer patients. Daniel Haber hopes that this may revolutionize the way oncologists treat cancers in the near future.

"While much work remains to be done, this approach raises the possibility of rapidly and noninvasively monitoring tumor response to treatment, allowing changes if the treatment is not effective, and the potential of early detection screening in people at increased risk of cancer, possibly in the future", said Haber who is also the Director of the Mass General Hospital Cancer Center.

The formal announcement of the awards by Popular Mechanics and a celebratory dinner was held at the Hearst Tower in New York City. Sunitha Nagrath from Toner's team was on hand to demonstrate the CTC device in person and accept the award on Toner's behalf.

Posted: 11/13/2008