Lipid Nanovesicles by Microfluidics: Manipulation, Synthesis, and Drug Delivery

Lipid nanovesicles, including endogenous exosomes and synthetic lipid nanoparticles, have shown great potential in disease diagnostics, drug delivery, and cancer biology. Naturally secreted nanovesicles are promising biomarkers for early detection of cancers in vitro. Synthetic nanovesicles serve as robust drug delivery systems with enhanced tumor targeting in vivo. Microfluidic platforms with features of excellent flow control and rapid mixing are exploited as versatile tools for studying lipid nanovesicles of small sizes and delicate structures. Here, an overview of microfluidics for precise manipulation and synthesis of lipid nanovesicles is provided. The mechanisms of isolation and detection of exosomes in microfluidics, as well as the clinical utility of exosomes for cancer diagnosis, are discussed. Several microfluidic designs for controlled assembly of a variety of lipid nanovesicles are highlighted. Opportunities and outstanding challenges of microfluidics-based investigation of lipid nanovesicles are discussed.