Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Alessio Meggiolaro, Valentina Moccia, Paola Brun, Matteo Pierno, Giampaolo Mistura, Valentina Zappulli, Davide Ferraro
Summary: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are receiving considerable attention in the biological and medical fields due to their role as natural carriers of genetic information and their potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in various diseases. However, conventional methods for EV isolation have limitations, and microfluidic approaches have been proposed as a solution. This review summarizes the most important microfluidic-based devices for EV isolation and their advantages and disadvantages compared to existing technology.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lea L. Volmer, Cansu E. Oender, Barbara Volz, Anjali R. Singh, Sara Y. Brucker, Tobias Engler, Andreas D. Hartkopf, Andre Koch
Summary: This study established a biobanking protocol for bone marrow samples and evaluated a microfluidic-based separation system for enriching cryopreserved disseminated tumor cells (DTCs). The proposed method significantly increased the harvested DTCs compared to current standard techniques, opening up new analysis possibilities for DTCs. This advanced method also enables the individualized testing of targeted therapies for breast cancer patients.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Samla Gauri Balakrishnan, Mohd Ridzuan Ahmad, Seyed Saeid Rahimian Koloor, Michal Petru
Summary: This study aims to simulate the extraction and separation of ctDNA from the blood plasma of cancer patients for early and effective cancer detection. The results showed efficient separation of ctDNA for early cancer management, with a high sensitivity and specificity in tracing ctDNA using a microfluidics platform and SPM bead particles.
JOURNAL OF ADVANCED RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sachindra S. T. Gamage, Thilanga N. Pahattuge, Harshani Wijerathne, Katie Childers, Swarnagowri Vaidyanathan, Uditha S. Athapattu, Lulu Zhang, Zheng Zhao, Mateusz L. Hupert, Rolf M. Muller, Judy Muller-Cohn, Janet Dickerson, Dylan Dufek, Brian Geisbrecht, Harsh Pathak, Ziyan Pessetto, Gregory N. Gan, Junseo Choi, Sunggook Park, Andrew K. Godwin, Malgorzata A. Witek, Steven A. Soper
Summary: We developed a microfluidic assay to select intact severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral particles with an accessible receptor binding domain from clinical samples. This assay can be used for high-scale production and large-scale screening. The assay successfully identified active SARS-CoV-2 viral particles in COVID-19 patients.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Chiao-Hsu Ke, Cheng-Chi Liu, Shang-Lin Wang, Chen-Si Lin
Summary: The study found that D-dimer values significantly increased in dogs with tumors, and significantly decreased after the removal of primary tumors. Furthermore, other hemostatic parameters were correlated to tumor burden. These parameters could be potential biomarkers for canine tumors.
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Kai Zhao, Xiangyu Li, Yuanxin Shi, Yun Lu, Peng Qiu, Zhengdong Deng, Wei Yao, Jianming Wang
Summary: Cholangiocarcinoma is an aggressive malignancy with a high fatality rate. Exosomes, as communication messengers, play important roles in tumor microenvironment and have potential value in the diagnosis and treatment of cholangiocarcinoma.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Huikai Zhang, Fanen Yuan, Yangzhi Qi, Baohui Liu, Qianxue Chen
Summary: Liquid biopsy has been applied in various cancers but little progress has been made in validating circulating biomarkers for brain malignancies. Data on circulating tumor cells in glioma are limited, and their application as a biomarker has just begun.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Ruoyu Jiang, Paul Yoo, Abhinand M. Sudarshana, Emma Pelegri-O'Day, Sandeep Chhabra, Marissa Mock, Abraham P. Lee
Summary: In this study, we demonstrate a microfluidic viscometer by acoustic streaming transducers (mu VAST) that utilizes acoustic microstreaming to measure fluid viscosity. The platform is validated with glycerol content mixtures to estimate viscosity based on the maximum speed of the second-order acoustic microstreaming. mu VAST requires only a small volume of fluid sample (approximately 1.2 μL) and can be scaled up for high throughput viscosity measurements. The ability to measure 16 samples within 3 seconds makes mu VAST attractive for automating process flows in drug development and materials manufacturing.
Article
Oncology
Cor J. Ravensbergen, Matthew Kuruc, Meaghan Polack, Stijn Crobach, Hein Putter, Hans Gelderblom, Devjit Roy, Rob A. E. M. Tollenaar, Wilma E. Mesker
Summary: Liquid biopsy is a novel and minimally invasive method for tumor sampling, providing a comprehensive understanding of the molecular tumor landscape. However, the current liquid biopsy analytes mainly focus on malignant cells without considering the tumor microenvironment. In this study, the Stroma Liquid Biopsy(TM) (SLB) proteomics panel, which contains proteins related to key stromal pathways in cancer, was explored and characterized using an in-silico transcriptomics approach in colon cancer. The expression of SLB genes was found to be significantly enriched in tumors with high histologic stromal content, and a prognostic gene signature ratio was identified. The findings highlight the importance of considering the tumor microenvironment in liquid biopsy and provide valuable prognostic information.
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
Immunology
Xuan Zhao, Yulin Bao, Bi Meng, Zijian Xu, Sijin Li, Xu Wang, Rui Hou, Wen Ma, Dan Liu, Junnian Zheng, Ming Shi
Summary: Developing biomarkers for predicting the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies is important for avoiding side effects and economic burden. Current assays evaluating PD-L1 expression are imperfect, but recent studies are advancing the methodologies to improve accuracy. This includes standardization of immunohistochemistry tests and the use of novel in vivo probes and liquid biopsy. Considering PD-L1 expression on non-tumor cells and utilizing artificial intelligence can further enhance the predictive accuracy of PD-L1 as a biomarker.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Zicheng Deng, Shengming Wu, Yilong Wang, Donglu Shi
Summary: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) play a crucial role in cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Current detection technologies have limitations due to tumor heterogeneity, but a new technique using superparamagnetic nanoprobe shows higher sensitivity and biomarker independence.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Man Tang, Jiao Feng, Hou-Fu Xia, Chun-Miao Xu, Ling-Ling Wu, Min Wu, Shao-Li Hong, Gang Chen, Zhi-Ling Zhang
Summary: This paper presents a continuous magnetic separation microfluidic chip that allows for rapid and continuous in vivo cell detection. The chip has shown potential in studying the circulation of tumor cells in the blood, providing a new platform for exploring the cellular mechanism of tumor metastasis.
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Bingqian Lin, Yanmei Lei, Junxia Wang, Lin Zhu, Yuqi Wu, Huimin Zhang, Lingling Wu, Peng Zhang, Chaoyong Yang
Summary: Liquid biopsy based on exosomes provides valuable information for biomarker analysis, but faces challenges in exosome isolation and molecular detection. The advancement of microfluidics technology has significantly improved the selectivity and sensitivity of exosome capture and molecular detection.
Article
Ophthalmology
Jasmine H. Francis, Christopher A. Barker, A. Rose Brannon, Julia Canestraro, Melissa Robbins, Christina E. Swartzwelder, Sara Levine, Crystal Law, Michael F. Berger, Alexander Shoushtari, David H. Abramson
Summary: This study aims to investigate the presence of plasma circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in patients with uveal melanoma during and after primary tumor treatment. The study found that ctDNA was significantly more detectable at 48 to 72 hours after plaque brachytherapy compared with less than 48 hours, and ctDNA can also be detected during enucleation. Relative increases in ctDNA levels may herald the development of clinically apparent metastases.
INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biophysics
Nanjing Hao, Zeyu Wang, Pengzhan Liu, Ryan Becker, Shujie Yang, Kaichun Yang, Zhichao Pei, Peiran Zhang, Jianping Xia, Liang Shen, Lin Wang, Kathleen A. Welsh-Bohmer, Laurie Sanders, Luke P. Lee, Tony Jun Huang
Summary: Alzheimer's disease is a severe neurodegenerative disorder with early diagnosis being a challenge. Researchers have developed an integrated diagnostic system combining acoustics, microfluidics, and biosensors for accurate and rapid detection of AD biomarkers, showing promising results for early diagnosis.
BIOSENSORS & BIOELECTRONICS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Zhenzhen Chen, Zhichao Pei, Xiong Zhao, Jinhua Zhang, Jinjia Wei, Nanjing Hao
Summary: Acoustic microreactors revolutionize chemical engineering by utilizing acoustics to drive reactant fluids at the microscale. Compared to passive microreactors, these active microreactors offer flexible control, short mixing distance, and intensive reaction kinetics.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Yaxuan Xiao, Jinhua Zhang, Bin Fang, Xiong Zhao, Nanjing Hao
Summary: Acoustics-actuated microrobots, with their miniaturization, flexibility, and biocompatibility features, can operate in tiny areas unreachable by traditional bulk robots. This article provides an overview of the research and development of acoustics-actuated microrobots, including manufacturing methods and different working principles. The established applications of these microrobots are also summarized, from targeted drug delivery to microsurgery, along with current challenges and future perspectives to guide further research in this field.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pengzhan Liu, Zhenhua Tian, Kaichun Yang, Ty Downing Naquin, Nanjing Hao, Huiyu Huang, Jinyan Chen, Qiuxia Ma, Hunter Bachman, Peiran Zhang, Xiahong Xu, Junhui Hu, Tony Jun Huang
Summary: Acoustofluidic black holes (AFBHs) are a technology that can slow down and capture acoustic waves, enabling versatile particle manipulation functionalities. This study fills the gap between acoustofluidics and acoustic black holes, leading to potential applications in various fields.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Zeyu Wang, Joseph Rich, Nanjing Hao, Yuyang Gu, Chuyi Chen, Shujie Yang, Peiran Zhang, Tony Jun Huang
Summary: Researchers have developed an acoustofluidic device that enables simultaneous drug loading and exosome encapsulation. This device utilizes acoustic forces to concentrate and fuse drugs and nanoparticles, resulting in drug-loaded silica nanocarriers encased within an exosomal membrane. The drug loading efficiency is significantly improved, and the process can be completed within minutes, without the need for complex chemical modification.
MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Zhenzhen Chen, Liang Shen, Xiong Zhao, Hongqiang Chen, Yaxuan Xiao, Yonghai Zhang, Xiaoping Yang, Jinhua Zhang, Jinjia Wei, Nanjing Hao
Summary: Microfluidics, especially acoustofluidics, offers new opportunities in chemical and biomedical engineering by manipulating fluids at the micrometer or submicrometer scale. This review discusses the utility of acoustofluidic technology, summarizes different types of acoustic micromixers, highlights their applications in various fields, and identifies the practical challenges that need to be addressed. Overall, this review provides valuable insights for both academic research and industrial applications.
APPLIED MATERIALS TODAY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiong Zhao, Hongqiang Chen, Yaxuan Xiao, Jinhua Zhang, Yinan Qiu, Jinjia Wei, Nanjing Hao
Summary: Optimizing the design of acoustofluidic micromixers is crucial for achieving efficient mixing in practical chemical engineering. This study proposes flower-like sharp-edge acoustic micromixers and investigates the effect of petal numbers, spreading angles, and tip angles on the mixing performance through numerical simulation and experiments. Compared to single sharp-edge devices, the flower-like sharp-edge ones show better mixing efficiency.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yonghai Zhang, Hongqiang Chen, Xiong Zhao, Xiang Ma, Lei Huang, Yinan Qiu, Jinjia Wei, Nanjing Hao
Summary: This paper introduces a robust acoustofluidic bubble-driven micromixer for the controllable synthesis of functional nano-array inside a glass capillary, which exhibits efficient photodegradation and metal ion enrichment. The morphology, density, and size of the nano-array can be precisely adjusted by reactant type, seeding phase, and reaction time. The ZnO nanorod array shows superior degradation efficiency and Cu2+ enrichment performance.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Biophysics
Liang Shen, Zhenhua Tian, Jinxin Zhang, Haodong Zhu, Kaichun Yang, Teng Li, Joseph Rich, Neil Upreti, Nanjing Hao, Zhichao Pei, Geonsoo Jin, Shujie Yang, Yaosi Liang, Wang Chaohui, Tony Jun Huang
Summary: This study presents acousto-dielectric tweezers that utilize surface acoustic waves and alternating current electric fields to apply controllable acoustophoretic and dielectrophoretic forces on cells, enabling the trapping and differentiation of cells based on their intrinsic biophysical properties. Experimental results demonstrate the potential applications of the mechanism in single-cell analysis, size-insensitive cell separation, and cell phenotyping.
BIOSENSORS & BIOELECTRONICS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Hongqiang Chen, Yonghai Zhang, Lei Huang, Xiong Zhao, Xiang Ma, Zihuan Ma, Junsheng Hou, Jinjia Wei, Paolo Di Marco, Omid Mahian, Nanjing Hao
Summary: This article presents a simple and straightforward microfluidic strategy for synthesizing functional silica nanofluids with excellent stability. The use of these nanofluids in microchannel flow boiling significantly enhances the heat transfer coefficient and critical heat flux, providing a promising solution for thermal management in high-power electronics.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
X. Zhao, H. Chen, Y. Xiao, J. Zhang, S. Watanabe, N. Hao
Summary: Acoustic microfluidics has a significant influence on mixing but faces challenges of low throughput. A robust acoustic micromixer is proposed, which integrates acoustics with hydrodynamics for fast and homogeneous mixing at various flow rates. The study shows the correlation between mixing performance and transducer properties, and the micromixer is used to synthesize functional ZnO nanoarrays with controllable properties.
MATERIALS TODAY NANO
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Yaxuan Xiao, Jinhua Zhang, Xiong Zhao, Bin Fang, Li Ma, Nanjing Hao
Summary: In this study, an artificial Chlamydomonas-like acoustics-actuated microrobot was proposed and its acoustic propulsion was verified through numerical simulation and experiments. The impact of tail tip angle and tail spacing on acoustic streaming intensity was investigated, and optimization design was found to improve the microrobot's motion performance.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS A-PHYSICAL
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Xiong Zhao, Zhenzhen Chen, Yinan Qiu, Nanjing Hao
Summary: The advent of microfluidic and microfabrication technologies has provided vast opportunities for the design of colloidal materials and interfaces. The integration of acoustics and microfluidics allows for the manipulation of fluids for precise engineering applications. This perspective discusses the utility of acoustic microfluidics as an emerging tool for colloidal materials and interface engineering, highlighting its underlying principles, achievements, shortcomings, and future research directions.
MATERIALS ADVANCES
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Zihuan Ma, Chengyu Hu, Li Ma, Hongqiang Chen, Junsheng Hou, Nanjing Hao, Jinjia Wei
Summary: This study investigates the thermal-hydraulic characteristics of Ag, SiO2, and Al2O3 nanofluids in different microchannel heat sink geometries. The results show that adding Al2O3 nanoparticles can significantly enhance the heat transfer performance, and the MC-O shaped heat sink exhibits the best convective heat transfer efficiency and lowest maximum temperature. These findings provide valuable guidance for the design of microchannel heat sinks and the application of nanofluid-based thermal management technology.
APPLIED MATERIALS TODAY
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Junsheng Hou, Junjie Wu, Hongqiang Chen, Lei Huang, Li Ma, Xiong Zhao, Zihan Ding, Yonghai Zhang, Jiabin Fang, Jinjia Wei, Satoshi Watanabe, Nanjing Hao
Summary: A facile microfluidic synthesis strategy is developed to prepare highly stable and size-controllable silica nanofluids, enhancing the heat transfer efficiency and providing new insights for the rational design of two-phase cooling nano-systems.
MATERIALS TODAY NANO
(2023)
