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Demystifying EV heterogeneity: emerging microfluidic technologies for isolation and multiplexed profiling of
Guihua Zhang1, Xiaodan Huang1, Sinong Liu1
1The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, The Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China. zhuzhi@xmu.edu.cn.
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Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are heterogeneous lipid containers carrying complex molecular cargoes, including proteins, nucleic acids, glycans, etc. These vesicles are closely associated with specific physiological characteristics, which makes them invaluable in the detection and monitoring of various diseases. However, traditional isolation methods are often labour-intensive, inefficient, and time-consuming. In addition, single biomarker analyses are no longer accurate enough to meet diagnostic needs. Routine isolation and molecular analysis of high-purity EVs in clinical applications is even more challenging. In this review, we discuss a promising solution, microfluidic-based techniques, that combine efficient isolation and multiplex detection of EVs, to further demystify EV heterogeneity. These microfluidic-based EV multiplexing platforms will hopefully facilitate development of liquid biopsies and offer promising opportunities for personalised therapy.
