Emerging microfluidic devices for cancer cells/biomarkers manipulation and detection

Abstract

Circulating tumour cells (CTCs) are active participants in the metastasis process and account for ∼90% of all cancer deaths. As CTCs are admixed with a very large amount of erythrocytes, leukocytes, and platelets in blood, CTCs are very rare, making their isolation, capture, and detection a major technological challenge. Microfluidic technologies have opened-up new opportunities for the screening of blood samples and the detection of CTCs or other important cancer biomarker-proteins. In this study, the authors have reviewed the most recent developments in microfluidic devices for cells/biomarkers manipulation and detection, focusing their attention on immunomagnetic-affinity-based devices, dielectrophoresis-based devices, surface-plasmon-resonance microfluidic sensors, and quantum-dots-based sensors.

Compatibility analysis of 3D printer resin for biological applications

“…In the past three decades, microfluidics has emerged from a one-functional device to multi-functional analytical devices with wide ranges of applications biological applications to, proteomics and metabolomics, in drug discovery [1], cell analysis, point-of-care (POC) devices [2,3], genetic analysis [4,5], organ-on-chip [6][7][8][9], and immunoassays [10,11]. Though traditional laboratory equipment has been used for the above-mentioned assays, microfluidic devices to a greater extent have numerous merits over the macrosystems because it reduces sample volume, reduces reagent cost, is disposable and streamlines complex assay protocols [12].…”

Multiple functions of microfluidic platforms: Characterization and applications in tissue engineering and diagnosis of cancer

“…In microfluidics, electrokinetic forces are used to manipulate particles and fluids due to electrostatic interactions. Whenever an electric field is used in presence of a heterogeneous system (i.e., ions in water), particles in the system undergo forces resulting in their manipulation according to the particles and the system properties [7,75]. Among such forces, dielectrophoresis (DEP) is widely used to manipulate neutral particles (such as cells).…”

Lab-on-a-Chip Platforms for Detection of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer Biomarkers

“…In addition, CTC detection in miniaturized devices requires the ability to efficiently process a relatively large volume of blood sample on a chip, which has been an area of important research and development [ 68 , 69 ]. Given the vast literature in this field, we refer the readers to a number of excellent reviews for more details [ 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 ].…”