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Updated: Mar 29, 2026
Microfluidics-based High-throughput Circulating Tumor Cell Sorting and Single-cell Sequencing Technology
Published on: November 14, 2025
Diagnostic technologies for circulating tumour cells and exosomes
Huilin Shao1, Jaehoon Chung2, David Issadore3
1Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 61 Biopolis Drive, Singapore 138673, Singapore National Neuroscience Institute, 11 Jalan Tan Tock Seng, Singapore 308433, Singapore Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, U.S.A. hshao@imcb.a-star.edu.sg.
Circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and exosomes are key blood biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and monitoring. New technologies are addressing challenges like CTC rarity and exosome smallness for improved clinical use.
Area of Science:
- Biomarkers
- Molecular Diagnostics
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and exosomes are valuable biomarkers found in blood.
- They offer minimally invasive methods for cancer diagnosis and monitoring.
- Their clinical translation faces challenges due to rarity (CTCs) and small size (exosomes).
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the characteristics of CTCs and exosomes as circulating biomarkers.
- To discuss the technical challenges hindering their clinical adaptation.
- To highlight emerging technologies and their potential for cancer diagnostics.
Main Methods:
- Overview of CTC and exosome properties.
- Analysis of technical hurdles in isolation and detection.
- Review of novel technologies for overcoming these challenges.
Main Results:
- CTCs and exosomes possess diverse molecular information for cancer detection.
- Technical challenges include low abundance of CTCs and small size of exosomes.
- Emerging technologies are being developed to address these limitations.
Conclusions:
- Technological advancements are crucial for harnessing the potential of CTCs and exosomes.
- These biomarkers offer significant opportunities for minimally invasive cancer diagnosis and monitoring.
- Further innovation will enhance their clinical utility in oncology.
