Recent advances in integrated biophysical and biochemical microfluidic methods for circulating tumor cells isolation...

Cancer is a worldwide public health problem. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are one of the most significant tumor biomarkers, reflecting critical information of disease transcriptome, genome, and proteome. Various microfluidic methods have been proposed to separate, detect and analyze CTCs, involving multiple processes. In this work, we aim to give a comprehensive overview on recent advances in integrated biophysical and biochemical microfluidic methods for CTCs separation and detection. First, early label-free biophysical methods are introduced and discussed, including basic passive and active approaches as well as active-passive integrated assays. Next, we summarize labelled methods with different biochemical reactions based on their unique working principles, such as immune affinity-based methods and magnetic nanoparticle-assisted methods. Moreover, the most dominating approaches combining biochemical and biophysical methods are discussed. Their applicability and unique features are compared. Finally, we offer the perspectives on integrated microfluidic approaches for CTCs biosensing and cancer diagnostics.