An efficient strategy to isolate CTCs was reported using another immune-affinity approach, where a chemical ligand-exchange reaction was engineered to release cells captured on a gold nanoparticle (NPs) coating bound to anti-EpCAM functionalized surface of a herringbone microfluidic device (NP-HBCTC-Chip); a higher capture efficiency of prostate cancer cells (PC3) was observed, with lower nonspecific binding, as well as improved cell release efficiency and viability due to the inclusion of thiol-modified gold NPs [246]. The gene discussed is EPCAM; the disease is prostate cancer.