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In this report, the relative efficiency of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and nanofibers (CNFs) to capture circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from the blood sample of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients was evaluated. Detection and enumeration of CTCs are critical for monitoring cancer progression. Both types of nanostructured cellulose were chemically modified with Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule (EpCAM) antibody and iron oxide nanoparticles. The EpCAM antibody facilitated the engagement of CTCs, promoting entrapment within the cellulose cage structure. Iron oxide nanoparticles, on the other hand, rendered the cages activatable via the use of a magnet for the capture and separation of entrapped CTCs. The efficiency of the network structures is shown in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients' blood samples. It was observed that the degree of chemical functionalization of hydroxyl groups located within the CNCs or CNFs with anti-EpCAM determined the efficiency of the system's interaction with CTCs. Further, our result indicated that inflexible scaffolds of nanocrystals interacted more efficiently with CTCs than that of the fibrous CNF scaffolds. Network structures derived from CNCs demonstrated comparable CTC capturing efficiency to commercial standard, OncoDiscover®. The output of the work will provide the chemical design principles of cellulosic materials intended for constructing affordable platforms for monitoring cancer progression in 'real time'. 

Poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) is a semi‐crystalline thermoplastic with excellent mechanical and chemical properties. PEEK exhibits a high degree of resistance to thermal, chemical, and bio‐degradation. PEEK is used as a biomaterial in the field of orthopedic and dental implants; however, due to its intrinsic hydrophobicity and inert surface, PEEK does not effectively support bone growth. Therefore, new methods to modify PEEK's surface to improve osseointegration are key to next‐generation polymer implant materials. Unfortunately, PEEK is a challenging material to both modify and subsequently characterize thus stymieing efforts to improve PEEK osseointegration. In this manuscript, we demonstrate how surface‐initiated atom transfer radical polymerization can be used to modify novel PEEK microparticles (PMP). The hard core‐soft shell microparticles were synthesized and characterized by dynamic light scattering, attenuated total reflection‐infrared, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, indicating the grafted materials increased solubility and stability in a range of solvents. The discovered surface grafted PMP can be used as compatibilizers for the polymer‐tissue interface.