Abstract: A method for detecting HER2-positive cancer cells, comprising steps of: (a) fixing and then permeabilizing cells; (b) contacting a primary antibody that recognizes an intracellular epitope of HER2 with the cells and then contacting a secondary antibody that recognizes the primary antibody and is labeled with a fluorescent dye; and (c) irradiating the cells with excitation light for the fluorescent dye and detecting fluorescence emitted from the cells is provided. According to such a method, HER2-positive cancer cells can be detected with high sensitivity.

Abstract: A cell isolation method includes: a cell trapping step of allowing a test liquid to pass through a cell trapping filter which has a plurality of through-holes in the thickness direction, thereby trapping isolation target cells contained in the test liquid on one surface of the cell trapping filter; a gel embedding step of introducing a stimulus-responsive hydrogel onto the one surface of the cell trapping filter on which the cells have been trapped in the cell trapping step, thereby embedding the cells in the stimulus-responsive hydrogel; a gel hardening step of applying a stimulus to the stimulus-responsive hydrogel in which the cells are embedded, thereby hardening the stimulus-responsive hydrogel; and a detachment step of detaching the stimulus-responsive hydrogel that was hardened in the gel hardening step from the cell trapping filter.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for detecting circulating tumor cells, comprising steps of: capturing cells in a blood sample on a filter; contacting an antibody that is labeled with a first fluorescent dye and recognizes a leukocyte marker protein with the cell-captured filter; contacting an animal serum, a surfactant and an antibody that is labeled with a second fluorescent dye and recognizes an epithelial cell marker protein with the cell-captured filter; contacting a third fluorescent dye that stains nucleic acids with the cell-captured filter; and detecting fluorescences emitted from each cell captured on the filter.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for capturing rare cells, comprising a step of adding beads to a fluid containing rare cells and contaminating cells; and a step of filtering, with a filter, the fluid to which the beads have been added. According to this method, rare cells can be enriched with the rare cells selectively captured from a fluid containing the rare cells and contaminating cells.

Abstract: A cell isolation method includes: a cell trapping step of allowing a test liquid to pass through a cell trapping filter which has a plurality of through-holes in the thickness direction, thereby trapping isolation target cells contained in the test liquid on one surface of the cell trapping filter; a gel embedding step of introducing a stimulus-responsive hydrogel onto the one surface of the cell trapping filter on which the cells have been trapped in the cell trapping step, thereby embedding the cells in the stimulus-responsive hydrogel; a gel hardening step of applying a stimulus to the stimulus-responsive hydrogel in which the cells are embedded, thereby hardening the stimulus-responsive hydrogel; and a detachment step of detaching the stimulus-responsive hydrogel that was hardened in the gel hardening step from the cell trapping filter.