Issue 13, 2023

Integrated “lab-on-a-chip” microfluidic systems for isolation, enrichment, and analysis of cancer biomarkers

Abstract

The liquid biopsy has garnered considerable attention as a complementary clinical tool for the early detection, molecular characterization and monitoring of cancer over the past decade. In contrast to traditional solid biopsy techniques, liquid biopsy offers a less invasive and safer alternative for routine cancer screening. Recent advances in microfluidic technologies have enabled handling of liquid biopsy-derived biomarkers with high sensitivity, throughput, and convenience. The integration of these multi-functional microfluidic technologies into a ‘lab-on-a-chip’ offers a powerful solution for processing and analyzing samples on a single platform, thereby reducing the complexity, bio-analyte loss and cross-contamination associated with multiple handling and transfer steps in more conventional benchtop workflows. This review critically addresses recent developments in integrated microfluidic technologies for cancer detection, highlighting isolation, enrichment, and analysis strategies for three important sub-types of cancer biomarkers: circulating tumor cells, circulating tumor DNA and exosomes. We first discuss the unique characteristics and advantages of the various lab-on-a-chip technologies developed to operate on each biomarker subtype. This is then followed by a discussion on the challenges and opportunities in the field of integrated systems for cancer detection. Ultimately, integrated microfluidic platforms form the core of a new class of point-of-care diagnostic tools by virtue of their ease-of-operation, portability and high sensitivity. Widespread availability of such tools could potentially result in more frequent and convenient screening for early signs of cancer at clinical labs or primary care offices.

Graphical abstract: Integrated “lab-on-a-chip” microfluidic systems for isolation, enrichment, and analysis of cancer biomarkers

Article information

Article type
Critical Review
Submitted
21 11月 2022
Accepted
26 5月 2023
First published
05 6月 2023

Lab Chip, 2023,23, 2942-2958

Integrated “lab-on-a-chip” microfluidic systems for isolation, enrichment, and analysis of cancer biomarkers

S. Surappa, P. Multani, U. Parlatan, P. D. Sinawang, J. Kaifi, D. Akin and U. Demirci, Lab Chip, 2023, 23, 2942 DOI: 10.1039/D2LC01076C

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements