Analytical device miniaturization for the detection of circulating biomarkers

Area of Science:

• Biomarker Discovery
• Nanotechnology
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Cells release diverse circulating biomarkers (e.g., circulating tumor cells, extracellular vesicles, cell-free DNA/RNA/proteins) during disease.
• These biomarkers contain rich molecular information valuable for disease detection and monitoring.
• Liquid biopsies offer a minimally invasive approach to capture this information.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review miniaturized platforms for rapid, minimally invasive detection and analysis of circulating biomarkers.
• To discuss challenges associated with analyzing biomarkers of varying sizes, concentrations, and compositions.
• To highlight opportunities in integrating biomarkers and devices for clinical translation.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on miniaturized platforms for biomarker analysis.
• Analysis of different device-scaled materials for biomarker enrichment, measurement, and analysis.
• Examination of detection challenges specific to various circulating biomarkers.

Main Results:

• Miniaturized platforms enable rapid and minimally invasive detection of diverse circulating biomarkers.
• Platforms are being developed to address challenges in size, concentration, and molecular complexity.
• Emerging opportunities exist in biomarker-device integration for enhanced diagnostic capabilities.

Conclusions:

• Miniaturized platforms are crucial for advancing liquid biopsy applications in disease detection and monitoring.
• Overcoming specific detection challenges is key to clinical translation.
• Future milestones involve integrated biomarker and device development for broader clinical adoption.