隨國人的生活型態改變，台灣地區主要死因由急性傳染病轉變為慢性疾病，根據衛生署統計自民國七十一年癌症即躍居十大死因的首位，而最新國人主要死因惡性腫瘤仍為主要死因，其中肺癌更是所有癌症中造成死亡數最多的病症之一。導致癌症的原因諸如致癌基因過度表現、先天性突變等，通常誘導癌症的產生為致癌基因的活化及抑癌基因經長時間的突變於多年後才被診斷出。癌細胞一旦產生後，細胞生長能力強並具有轉移轉化能力，因此早期惡性腫瘤被視為絕症；後來醫學上致力研究相關的對策，應用化療、輻射線、開刀等方法進行癌症治療相繼被提出，開刀雖可直接對腫瘤部位進行切除，但一旦癌細胞轉移後無法有效解決體內的癌細胞；化療方面簡單而言即是使用化學藥物來治療癌症，但是因化療所引起的副作用非常大，常會讓癌症患者為之卻步。
上述傳統治療癌症方法皆無法有效的完全消除癌細胞，在醫學不斷進步下近年發展出許多新的癌症治療方式，包含基因療法、抑制促癌細胞蛋白質、抑制新血管生成、免疫療法等。其中免疫療法為一具潛力的選項，然而目前無法產出品質一致的疫苗為尚難以運用在臨床治療上的主要原因之一。樹狀細胞為一種吞噬細胞且是最強的抗原表現細胞，當抗原被樹狀細胞吞噬後，樹狀細胞會活化所謂適應性免疫系統進行身體防衛。過去使用聚二乙醇化學融合或隨機性電融合製造出的樹狀細胞疫苗，雖可誘導毒殺性T淋巴球的活化，但其融合率及品質都十分不穩定，本論文提出一可達成品質及臨床效果皆穩定的高良率細胞電融合疫苗晶片。透過快速精確的微流體晶片設計與微電極的搭配，改良疫苗製程的良率與品質，以利發展出具穩定融合率的疫苗。本論文達成完成一具有82%配對效率，72%融合效率以及整體大約60%疫苗產率之高產率細胞電融合晶片應用於肺癌免疫療法，期望未來可提供融合細胞疫苗於癌症治療上的相關研究，甚至包含單細胞及融合疫苗的活體兼容性、免疫活性、細胞交互作用試驗等。

Cancer can be caused due to umpteen reasons, such as over expression of oncogenes, mutations in congenital etc. These are usually produced for the induction of cancer oncogene activation and tumor suppressor gene mutation by mutations for a long time (many years) before being diagnosed. Once the cancer cells are generated, the cancerous cell acquires the ability to transport itself into the normal tissue region.
Cell fusion is an important tool that can be used to study genetic interactions between two different cell types. Researchers usually achieve in vitro cell fusion by utilizing biological (viruses or overexpressed cell-surface receptors), chemical (polyethylene glycol) or physical (electroporation) methods. This technology has been used for the formation of antibody-producing hybridomas from B cells and myeloma cells, and the generation of dendritic cells for immunotherapy associated applications via the fusion of dendritic cells with tumor cells. Recently, the transformation of somatic cells to pluripotent cells via the fusion of oocytes or embryonic stem cells with somatic cells has been explored.
In recent years, many new cancer treatment modalities have been developed, including gene therapy, inhibition of cancer-promoting protein, inhibition of angiogenesis, immunotherapy, etc. The goal of this research is to provide an efficient microfluidic device for investigating cancer immunotherapy by using cell electrofusion technology. We successfully propose and fabricate a high yield cell electrofusion lab chip for the immunotherapy studies of lung cancer. Rapid and precise heterogeneous cell trapping and pairing micro-array structure was integrated with the corresponding sawtooth-shaped electrode array for applying electric field. Fusion of immune antigen presenting cells THP-1 with cancer cells A549 for the activation of the immune system to produce antibodies for cancer treatment was accomplished by using the device, and we achieved an average pairing efficiency of 82% and fusion efficiencies up to 72%. Almost 60% appropriately paired and fused cells over the entire chip which was six fold greater than the commercial electrofusion instruments. We hope that this technology will serve as a useful tool towards cancer research and its treatment in real life.

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