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Engineering inertial flow patterns for signal amplification in disc-based protein assays.
Hyun-Kyung Woo1,2, Lauren Philp3,4, Dae-Han Jung1
1Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
Theranostics
|April 17, 2026
Summary
RapidEx, a novel disc-fluidic system, enhances protein detection in extracellular vesicles for liquid biopsies. This technology improves diagnostic sensitivity for cancer detection and therapy monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Analytical Chemistry
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Detecting low-abundance proteins is crucial for extracellular vesicle (EV)-based diagnostics in liquid biopsies.
- Existing methods often lack the sensitivity required for early disease detection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce RapidEx, a disc-fluidic system for highly sensitive protein assays in extracellular vesicles.
- To enhance signal-to-background contrast for improved diagnostic accuracy.
Main Methods:
- RapidEx integrates enzymatic labeling and efficient washing within a single disc cartridge.
- It utilizes disc-specific inertial forces (centrifugal and Coriolis) and membrane-filter dynamics.
- Performance was validated via numerical simulation and tyramide-mediated amplification assays on patient plasma samples.
Main Results:
- Coriolis-induced lateral flows were critical for improving labeling and washing efficiency.
- The system demonstrated >25-fold higher sensitivity than standard two-step labeling.
- Protein profiles from ovarian cancer patients and controls were differentiated, identifying platinum therapy resistance.
Conclusions:
- RapidEx enables rapid, cost-effective protein-based liquid biopsies.
- The platform has significant applications in disease detection and monitoring therapeutic responses.
