Integrated “lab-on-a-chip” microfluidic systems for isolation, enrichment, and analysis of cancer biomarkers
This critical review addresses recent developments in integrated microfluidic technologies for cancer detection with an emphasis on three common subtypes of cancer biomarkers: circulating tumor cells, circulating tumor DNA and exosomes.
Critical Review
Label-free microfluidic cell sorting and detection for rapid blood analysis
This review focuses on recent microfluidic technologies for label-free blood cell separation, detection and coupling with machine learning approaches.
Highly efficient isolation and multistep analysis of tumor cells from whole blood
Our microcavity array solution achieves unbiased cell isolation, rapid reagent exchange, and efficient staining for identifying tumor cells in blood.
EV-Lev: extracellular vesicle isolation from human plasma using microfluidic magnetic levitation device
This design demonstrates the isolation of extracellular vesicles (EVs) from human plasma, utilizing polymer beads as assay surfaces to capture EV subpopulations and magnetic levitation to sort beads at different outlets.
Paper
Deep learning-enabled detection of rare circulating tumor cell clusters in whole blood using label-free, flow cytometry
We present a deep-learning enabled, label-free flow cytometry platform for identifying circulating tumor cell clusters in whole blood based on the endogenous scattering detected at three wavelengths. The method has potential for in vivo translation.
Paper
Dielectrophoretic enrichment of live chemo-resistant circulating-like pancreatic cancer cells from media of drug-treated adherent cultures of solid tumors
Optimization of dielectrophoretic separation of cancer cell subpopulations using single-cell impedance cytometry is presented, with machine learning used to gate their impedance metrics.
Magnetic-nanowaxberry-based microfluidic ExoSIC for affinity and continuous separation of circulating exosomes towards cancer diagnosis
A novel irregular serpentine channel microfluidic chip based on magnetic-nanowaxberry was developed to continuously separate plasma exosomes with large yield and optimum purity. It can be successfully applied to cancer diagnosis with high accuracy.
Paper
Virtual-freezing fluorescence imaging flow cytometry with 5-aminolevulinic acid stimulation and antibody labeling for detecting all forms of circulating tumor cells
Heterogeneous clusters of cancer cells and leukocytes in blood were visualized by combining high-throughput and high-sensitivity fluorescence imaging flow cytometry with 5-aminolevulinic acid stimulation.
About this collection
Handpicked by our Associate Editor, Yoon-Kyoung Cho (UNIST), we are pleased to highlight select works on liquid biopsy published in recent years. Read what she had to say below:
“Liquid biopsy has rapidly emerged as a cornerstone in non-invasive cancer diagnostics and monitoring, owing to its ability to sample circulating biomarkers (cells, nucleic acids, vesicles) from a simple blood draw. Microfluidic technologies play a critical role by offering precise, integrated, and efficient solutions for isolating these rare biomarkers, which align closely with the miniaturization and integration goals central to Lab on a Chip.
In this collection, we first highlight two comprehensive reviews that capture recent advancements in microfluidic technologies for liquid biopsy. Surappa et al. (2023) present a critical overview of integrated lab-on-a-chip systems capable of isolating and analyzing major cancer biomarkers—CTCs, circulating tumor DNA, and exosomes—emphasizing streamlined workflows for clinical diagnostics. Complementing this, Lu et al. (2023) review label-free microfluidic approaches for rapid sorting and detection of blood cells, focusing on intrinsic biophysical properties and their integration with advanced detection methods for clinical translation.
Four innovative research papers then showcase advances in circulating tumor cell technologies. Knapp et al. (2025) introduce a novel "microfluidic decanting" method enabling multistep on-chip tumor cell processing, achieving near-complete cell recovery and minimal loss, suitable for integrated point-of-care diagnostics. Rane et al. (2024) demonstrate a dielectrophoretic (DEP) device that selectively enriches chemo-resistant pancreatic cancer cells, providing a valuable tool to study therapy resistance. Matsumura et al. (2023) present Virtual-Freezing Fluorescence Imaging (VIFFI) flow cytometry, allowing sensitive and label-free detection of single cells and rare tumor clusters at high throughput. Additionally, Vora et al. (2024) report a deep-learning-enabled, label-free detection method for circulating tumor cell clusters using flow cytometry, significantly enhancing detection accuracy and throughput.
Further highlighting microfluidic innovation in extracellular vesicle isolation, Yaman et al. (2025) introduce EV-Lev, an advanced platform using magnetic levitation for efficient isolation of EV subpopulations based on density and surface markers, enabling simultaneous and precise sorting. Ding et al. (2023) present the ExoSIC device utilizing magnetic nanowaxberry particles in a serpentine microchannel, achieving remarkably high-yield and purity isolation of exosomes from plasma, demonstrating potential for clinical diagnostics through multiplex biomarker analysis.
We encourage readers to explore this Editor’s Choice collection, which illustrates the transformative potential of microfluidic technologies in advancing liquid biopsy toward clinical application.”