Integrated microfluidic platforms for extracellular vesicles: Separation, detection, and clinical translation

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), secreted by most living cells, encapsulate a diverse array of bioactive molecules from their parent cells, including proteins and nucleic acids. Recent studies underscore the potential of EVs as advanced biomarkers for the early diagnosis of a variety of clinical diseases. Nevertheless, traditional platforms for EVs separation and detection platforms working alone often involve multiple pieces of equipment and complex, multi-step protocols. This extends processing time and the likelihood of bioanalyte loss and cross-contamination, thereby impeding further EVs research. To date, few studies have effectively combined EVs separation, detection, and analysis functions into a single platform. Integrated microfluidic platforms present a compelling solution by enabling seamless progression from sample to result. These platforms can efficiently combine various separation and detection techniques, simplifying complex workflows and facilitating both efficient EVs separation and high-sensitivity detection. This review concentrates on integrated microfluidic platforms for EVs separation and detection, specifically examining whether the separation and detection units are fully integrated. Recent studies underscore the potential of EVs as promising biomarkers for early-stage diagnosis of diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. Recent advances in EVs separation and analysis enable overcoming key translational barriers, accelerating their routine adoption in clinical diagnostics.