Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Shibo Cheng, Yutao Li, He Yan, Yunjie Wen, Xin Zhou, Lee Friedman, Yong Zeng
Summary: Extracellular vesicles, including exosomes, play a significant role in cancer diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring by carrying a selective set of biomolecules from tumor cells. Microfluidics offers a disruptive platform for EV isolation and analysis due to its advantages in promoting the development of new molecular and cellular sensing systems with improved sensitivity and specificity. Despite current challenges in EV research, adapting microfluidic techniques shows promise in assessing emerging EV-associated biomarkers for clinical applications.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yujin Lee, Jie Ni, Julia Beretov, Valerie C. C. Wasinger, Peter Graham, Yong Li
Summary: Current clinical tools for breast cancer diagnosis are limited, but liquid biopsy has emerged as a minimally invasive strategy for real-time monitoring of tumor biomarkers. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a crucial role in tumor development and metastasis. Small EVs (sEVs) are being investigated as a potential source of novel biomarkers for breast cancer using advanced proteomics and sequencing technologies. This review highlights recent advancements in sEV isolation and analysis and summarizes the identified sEV biomarkers for breast cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and chemoresistance.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bingqian Lin, Jinting Jiang, Jingxuan Jia, Xiang Zhou
Summary: Liquid biopsy, as a noninvasive detection technique, plays a key role in cancer diagnosis, disease monitoring, and prognostic assessment; exosomes, as potential biomarkers, are crucial bioinformation carriers for intercellular communication; the development of sensitive, convenient, and reliable exo-miRNA assays will provide new perspectives for medical diagnosis.
Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Dian Anggraini, Nobutoshi Ota, Yigang Shen, Tao Tang, Yo Tanaka, Yoichiroh Hosokawa, Ming Li, Yaxiaer Yalikun
Summary: Single-cell analysis is crucial for understanding the functionality of cells, and single-cell cultivation plays a key role in this process. Microfluidic devices offer efficient and sensitive single-cell cultivation and real-time analysis, with diverse biological applications.
Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Hao Cheng, Hangrui Liu, Weihua Li, Ming Li
Summary: Magnetic Digital microfluidics (DMF) is a promising platform technology with advantages such as simple and power free operation, easy assembly, compatibility with auto control systems, and dual functionality of magnetic particles. It has gained widespread attention in fields like molecular diagnostics, immunoassays, cell manipulation, and chemical analysis. However, current challenges and limitations include issues like biocompatibility and microdroplet evaporation.
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Shuo Yin, Aipeng Chen, Yue Ding, Jia Song, Rui Chen, Peng Zhang, Chaoyong Yang
Summary: Exosomes, small extracellular vesicles, play essential roles in various physiological and pathological processes by selectively enclosing various RNAs and mediating intercellular communications. Accurate analysis of exosomal RNAs is crucial for both research and clinical applications. This review provides an overview of exosomal RNAs and discusses the advances in detection techniques and their applications in cancer diagnosis and therapy, highlighting their potential as non-invasive biomarkers and therapeutic tools. The challenges and future prospects in exosomal RNA analysis for diagnostic and therapeutic applications are also discussed.
TRAC-TRENDS IN ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Yangjiayi Xiang, Cong Hu, Gou Wu, Shilin Xu, Yan Li
Summary: Detecting cancer biomarkers is crucial for risk assessment and early diagnosis. Nanomaterial-based microfluidic devices have shown great potential in fast, sensitive, selective detection of cancer biomarkers.
TRAC-TRENDS IN ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Bowen Jiang, Deqian Xie, Shijin Wang, Xiunan Li, Guangzhen Wu
Summary: During the last decade, non-invasive liquid biopsy methods have replaced traditional imaging and invasive pathological methods for cancer diagnosis. These methods enable early screening and diagnosis of solid tumors, as well as continuous monitoring of tumor progression. Recent advancements in isolation and analysis techniques have improved accuracy, expanded sample acquisition and target testing, and extended the detection of solid tumors from blood and other body fluids.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Chemical
Rajkumar Rakesh Kumar, Amit Kumar, Cheng-Hsin Chuang, Muhammad Omar Shaikh
Summary: Cancer is a global health burden with poor survival rates due to late diagnosis and limited access to treatments. Recent advancements in cancer diagnostics have focused on biomarkers, such as nucleic acids, proteins, enzymes, and circulating tumor cells (CTCs). This review provides an overview of these technologies and their detection techniques, while discussing emerging trends and technical limitations in achieving accurate and user-friendly point-of-care cancer diagnosis. The ultimate goal is collaborative research for personalized and improved technologies that enable early diagnosis and reduced mortality.
INDUSTRIAL & ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Health Care Sciences & Services
Yutaka Naito, Kazufumi Honda
Summary: Liquid biopsy is an efficient diagnostic tool for analysing biomaterials in body fluids, which provides important information for cancer diagnosis. In the case of oral cancer, various biomarkers have been investigated, including the proteome, metabolome, microRNAome, extracellular vesicles, cell-free DNAs, and circulating tumour cells. This review discusses recent advances and challenges in liquid biopsy for oral cancer diagnosis.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Yiwei Shi, Ying Cai, Yuhong Cao, Zhanying Hong, Yifeng Chai
Summary: To accelerate the discovery of anti-cancer drugs, there is an urgent need to establish an inexpensive and simple preclinical model that can simulate the tumor microenvironment and screen the drug candidates. Microfluidic chips are a promising technology due to low reagent consumption and the capability of replicating a more representative 3D cell culture.
TRAC-TRENDS IN ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Meruyert Imanbekova, Sorina Suarasan, Yao Lu, Sarah Jurchuk, Sebastian Wachsmann-Hogiu
Summary: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are complex biological nanoparticles that play a significant role in the physiology and pathology of cells, organs, and organisms. Detecting specific EVs from the mixture of EVs in body fluids is challenging. Recent research has focused on label-free optical methods that simplify sample preparation and eliminate interfering signals. This review discusses the progress of label-free optical methods used for the detection, counting, and characterization of EVs.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Shinhee Park, Jae-Cheol Lee, Chang-Min Choi
Summary: Liquid biopsy, focusing on analysis of tumor-derived material in blood, particularly cell-free tumor DNA in plasma, has become a valuable tool in understanding genomic alterations in cancer evolution, especially in non-small cell lung cancer for guiding personalized targeted therapies.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jiani Yang, Shanshan Cheng, Nan Zhang, Yue Jin, Yu Wang
Summary: Ovarian cancer is a deadly gynecologic malignancy that has a high metastasis rate, leading researchers to focus on circulating tumor cells (CTCs) for insights into the genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic profiling of OC metastatic cascades. Efforts are being made to develop methodologies for CTCs detection and isolation, as well as propagation platforms like traditional cell cultures and organoids. CTCs offer minimally-invasive means for early diagnosis, prognosis prediction, and treatment guidance in personalized cancer therapy.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-REVIEWS ON CANCER
(2022)
Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Ji-Won Kim, Sang Hoon Han, Ye Hun Choi, Wahyu Martumpal Hamonangan, Yoonjin Oh, Shin-Hyun Kim
Summary: Multiple-emulsion drops with core-shell geometry and multiple compartments can be used to design functional microcapsules. Advances in microfluidics have improved the precision and production throughput of multiple-emulsion drops. By solidifying selected phases, metastable multiple-emulsion drops can be converted into stable microcapsules with programmable solid shells. These functional microcapsules have various applications such as drug carriers and microreactors.
Article
Optics
Charles M. Rackson, Joseph T. Toombs, Martin P. De Beer, Caitlyn C. Cook, Maxim Shusteff, Hayden K. Taylor, Robert R. McLeod
Summary: Volumetric additive manufacturing (VAM) is a rapid printing technology that can print a wide range of materials without layering issues. However, VAM suffers from striations, which limit its applications. Researchers have proposed a method of mitigating striations by adding uniform optical exposure at the end of the printing process. This method also shortens the time from gelation to print completion and expands the range of printable resins.
Article
Polymer Science
Mahdi Hamidinejad, Taib Arif, Guorui Wang, Sasan Rezaei, Peter Serles, Hayden K. . Taylor, Chul B. Park, Tobin Filleter
Summary: The study directly images the sectorization of polymer single crystals through anisotropic elastic deformation on the crystal surface. By utilizing a variant of friction force microscopy, the scanning direction of the probe tip parallel to the cantilever axis allows for high contrast imaging of sectorization in polymer single crystals. This approach provides a fast, easy, and nondestructive characterization of the microstructure and in-plane elastic anisotropy of compliant crystalline materials such as polymers.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Peter Serles, Mahdi Hamidinejad, Pedro Guerra Demingos, Li Ma, Nima Barri, Hayden Taylor, Chandra Veer Singh, Chul B. Park, Tobin Filleter
Summary: This study reveals the friction mechanisms of 2D Ti3C2Tx MXenes, showing that their lubrication behavior is determined by the surface termination species. MXenes do not exhibit friction layer dependence like other 2D materials, and annealing leads to a reduction in friction of 16-57%. Additionally, MXene flakes demonstrate stability upon isolation from their aqueous environment.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Soochan Chung, Cameron Riley, Hayden Taylor
Summary: This study introduces a triple-hierarchical superhydrophobic surface (TriSS) inspired by water-repellent lotus leaves, which achieves high contact angles and resistance to water impingement through complex surface topography. The TriSS surface is composed of arrays of microprotrusions with various sizes, grooves between the protrusions, and a covering of nanoscale hairs. It has wide potential for industrial applications.
ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Jonathan Jen Jie Tay, Neel Rahul Obordo Karve, Kiat Hwa Chan
Summary: In this study, two doxorubicin analogues (A(1) and A(2)) were designed and synthesized, and their X-ray crystal structures were obtained. It was found that A(1) reacted with Re(CO)(5)(OTf) to form complex 1, and A(2) reacted with Re(CO)5(OTf) to form complex 2. Both complexes were found to be unstable in solution and showed weak coordination to rhenium carbonyl. Therefore, direct coordination of rhenium carbonyl is not feasible for modulating the pharmacological profile of doxorubicin.
JOURNAL OF ORGANOMETALLIC CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Jianguo Feng, Jiri Neuzil, Andreas Manz, Ciprian Iliescu, Pavel Neuzil
Summary: The low success rate, time consumption, and high cost of bringing a drug from concept to market necessitate new approaches to drug discovery. Recent innovations in microfluidic technologies, such as organ-on-a-chip, droplet microfluidics, and high-throughput screening, have shown potential in addressing these challenges through reduced sample volume, faster processing time, and improved process control. This review highlights the recent progress in the development and application of microfluidic technologies in drug screening and drug delivery, outlining the trends and associated challenges.
TRAC-TRENDS IN ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Quinten Thijssen, Astrid Quaak, Joseph Toombs, Elly De Vlieghere, Laurens Parmentier, Hayden Taylor, Sandra Van Vlierberghe
Summary: Current biodegradable and cross-linkable polymers mainly rely on acrylate crosslinking, but their brittleness limits their applicability. In this study, photo-cross-linkable poly(e-caprolactone) networks through orthogonal thiol-ene chemistry are introduced, which show improved mechanical properties compared to acrylate cross-linked materials. The tunability of the materials is evaluated by altering the molar mass between cross-links, and their biocompatibility and volumetric printability are demonstrated. This research opens up new possibilities for bedside manufacturing of biodegradable patient-specific implants.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Joseph T. T. Toombs, Ingrid K. K. Shan, Hayden K. K. Taylor
Summary: A simple three-component transparent thermoreversible gel photoresist is formulated by adding ethyl cellulose (EC), which enables sedimentation-free volumetric patterning in low-viscosity monomer and improves flexural strength.
MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Brian Salazar, Parham Aghdasi, Claudia P. Ostertag, Hayden K. Taylor
Summary: In squeezing ground tunnel construction, a new yielding element design consisting of corrugated metal plates embedded within fiber-reinforced concrete is presented. This design enables the engineering of structures with monotonically increasing compressive stress-strain curves and matches the desired compressive properties. Compared to alternate reinforcement schemes, the corrugated metal plate reinforcement produces monotonically increasing stress-strain curves while keeping stress levels below the prescribed limit, and extends the yield plateau.
MATERIALS & DESIGN
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Yu Fang, Ruige Wu, Joo Mong Lee, Ling Hou Melinda Chan, Kok Yen Jerry Chan
Summary: The field of assisted reproductive technology (ART) has been constantly improving, and microfluidic technology has the potential to play a transformative role in optimizing embryo development. Microfluidics can be integrated into various stages of embryo production, enabling miniaturization, integration, and automation. Progress in 3D printing technology, organ-on-a-chip, alternative materials, and integrated microfluidic operational units will drive the development of this technology. An ideal microfluidic system would incorporate oocyte processing, sperm processing, and embryo culture into a single compact device. This article reviews the recent applications of microfluidic technologies in IVF procedures and discusses the challenges and potentials for their application in ART.
TRAC-TRENDS IN ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
Taylor Waddell, Joseph Toombs, Ashley Reilly, Tristan Schwab, Christian Castaneda, Ingrid Shan, Tasha Lewis, Pranit Mohnot, Dylan Potter, Hayden Taylor
Summary: Computed Axial Lithography (CAL) is a recent advancement in volumetric additive manufacturing that uses tomographic reconstruction to deliver a light dose to a photopolymer volume. It eliminates the need for dedicated solid supporting structures and has the potential to manufacture various parts for space exploration and repair existing tools and parts. Initial findings from microgravity flight tests show that low viscosity precursor can be printed with less geometric distortion compared to Earth-based gravity printing.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Violeta Dediu, Jana Ghitman, Gratiela Gradisteanu Pircalabioru, Kiat Hwa Chan, Florina Silvia Iliescu, Ciprian Iliescu
Summary: The rapid development of antimicrobial resistance due to broad antibiotic utilization in healthcare and food industries is a critical global public health issue. Nanotechnology offers new materials with unique properties and adaptability to address drug-resistant bacterial infections in safe and targeted ways. Photothermal antibacterial nanomaterials, such as plasmonic metals, semiconductors, and organic polymers, show promise in developing controllable hyperthermia as antibacterial platforms. This review discusses the current state of the art in photothermal antibacterial nanomaterials, strategies for optimizing antimicrobial efficiency, antibacterial mechanisms, and potential applications in biofilm removal and infected wound therapy. The challenges, limitations, and future perspectives of photothermal antimicrobial therapy are also explored.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Optics
Vu Nguyen, Wan Li, Joel Ager, Ke Xu, Hayden Taylor
Summary: Optical reflectance imaging is a simple and fast technique for characterizing 2D materials. It can reveal the interlayer coupling in stacked MoS2 and WS(2) bilayers through reflectance contrast. The determination of interlayer coupling requires optimization of illumination wavelength and SiO2 film thickness. This approach enables quick characterization of constructed 2D material systems.
Proceedings Paper
Engineering, Industrial
Chi Chung Li, Joseph Toombs, Sui Man Luk, Martin P. de Beer, Johanna J. Schwartz, Maxim Shusteff, Hayden K. Taylor
Summary: Computed axial lithography (CAL) is an emerging volumetric additive manufacturing technology with unique opportunities in layerless ultra-rapid fabrication. Color Schlieren Tomography (CST) serves as an in-situ metrology tool to monitor internal refractive index changes, providing valuable data for chemical kinetics modeling.
ADVANCED FABRICATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR MICRO/NANO OPTICS AND PHOTONICS XV
(2022)