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Zole E, Sathyanarayanan G, Regenberg B, Kutter JP. Microfluidic isolation of extrachromosomal circular DNA through selective digestion of plasmids and linear DNA using immobilized nucleases. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:3101-3111. [PMID: 38752699 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc01028g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA) refers to small circular DNA molecules that are distinct from chromosomal DNA and play diverse roles in various biological processes. They are also explored as potential biomarkers for disease diagnosis and precision medicine. However, isolating eccDNA from tissues and plasma is challenging due to low abundance and the presence of interfering linear DNA, requiring time-consuming processes and expert handling. Our study addresses this by utilizing a microfluidic chip tailored for eccDNA isolation, leveraging microfluidic principles for enzymatic removal of non-circular DNA. Our approach involves integrating restriction enzymes into the microfluidic chip, enabling selective digestion of mitochondrial and linear DNA fragments while preserving eccDNA integrity. This integration is facilitated by an in situ photo-polymerized emulsion inside microchannels, creating a porous monolithic structure suitable for immobilizing restriction and exonuclease enzymes (restriction enzyme MssI and exonuclease ExoV). Evaluation using control DNA mixtures and plasma samples with artificially introduced eccDNA demonstrated that our microfluidic chips reduce linear DNA by over 99%, performing comparable to conventional off-chip methods but with substantially faster digestion times, allowing for a remarkable 76-fold acceleration in overall sample preparation time. This technological advancement holds great promise for enhancing the isolation and analysis of eccDNA from tissue and plasma and the potential for increasing the speed of other molecular methods with multiple enzymatic steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Egija Zole
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Birgitte Regenberg
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jörg P Kutter
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
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2
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Yaghoubi Naei V, Bordhan P, Mirakhorli F, Khorrami M, Shrestha J, Nazari H, Kulasinghe A, Ebrahimi Warkiani M. Advances in novel strategies for isolation, characterization, and analysis of CTCs and ctDNA. Ther Adv Med Oncol 2023; 15:17588359231192401. [PMID: 37692363 PMCID: PMC10486235 DOI: 10.1177/17588359231192401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade, the detection and analysis of liquid biopsy biomarkers such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) have advanced significantly. They have received recognition for their clinical usefulness in detecting cancer at an early stage, monitoring disease, and evaluating treatment response. The emergence of liquid biopsy has been a helpful development, as it offers a minimally invasive, rapid, real-time monitoring, and possible alternative to traditional tissue biopsies. In resource-limited settings, the ideal platform for liquid biopsy should not only extract more CTCs or ctDNA from a minimal sample volume but also accurately represent the molecular heterogeneity of the patient's disease. This review covers novel strategies and advancements in CTC and ctDNA-based liquid biopsy platforms, including microfluidic applications and comprehensive analysis of molecular complexity. We discuss these systems' operational principles and performance efficiencies, as well as future opportunities and challenges for their implementation in clinical settings. In addition, we emphasize the importance of integrated platforms that incorporate machine learning and artificial intelligence in accurate liquid biopsy detection systems, which can greatly improve cancer management and enable precision diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vahid Yaghoubi Naei
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, Frazer Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Pritam Bordhan
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Faculty of Science, Institute for Biomedical Materials & Devices, University of Technology Sydney, Australia
| | - Fatemeh Mirakhorli
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Motahare Khorrami
- Immunology Research Center, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Jesus Shrestha
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Hojjatollah Nazari
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Arutha Kulasinghe
- Faculty of Medicine, Frazer Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Majid Ebrahimi Warkiani
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, 1, Broadway, Ultimo New South Wales 2007, Australia
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3
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Gusmão LA, Matsuo FS, Barbosa HFG, Tedesco AC. Advances in nano-based materials for glioblastoma multiforme diagnosis: A mini-review. FRONTIERS IN NANOTECHNOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fnano.2022.836802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of nano-based materials for diagnosis enables a more precise prognosis and results. Inorganic, organic, or hybrid nanoparticles using nanomaterials, such as quantum dots, extracellular vesicle systems, and others, with different molecular compositions, have been extensively explored as a better strategy to overcome the blood-brain barrier and target brain tissue and tumors. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive primary tumor of the central nervous system, with a short, established prognosis. The delay in early detection is considered a key challenge in designing a precise and efficient treatment with the most encouraging prognosis. Therefore, the present mini-review focuses on discussing distinct strategies presented recently in the literature regarding nanostructures’ use, design, and application for GBM diagnosis.
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Kapeleris J, Ebrahimi Warkiani M, Kulasinghe A, Vela I, Kenny L, Ladwa R, O'Byrne K, Punyadeera C. Clinical Applications of Circulating Tumour Cells and Circulating Tumour DNA in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer-An Update. Front Oncol 2022; 12:859152. [PMID: 35372000 PMCID: PMC8965052 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.859152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite efforts to improve earlier diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), most patients present with advanced stage disease, which is often associated with poor survival outcomes with only 15% surviving for 5 years from their diagnosis. Tumour tissue biopsy is the current mainstream for cancer diagnosis and prognosis in many parts of the world. However, due to tumour heterogeneity and accessibility issues, liquid biopsy is emerging as a game changer for both cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Liquid biopsy is the analysis of tumour-derived biomarkers in body fluids, which has remarkable advantages over the use of traditional tumour biopsy. Circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) are two main derivatives of liquid biopsy. CTC enumeration and molecular analysis enable monitoring of cancer progression, recurrence, and treatment response earlier than traditional biopsy through a minimally invasive liquid biopsy approach. CTC-derived ex-vivo cultures are essential to understanding CTC biology and their role in metastasis, provide a means for personalized drug testing, and guide treatment selection. Just like CTCs, ctDNA provides opportunity for screening, monitoring, treatment evaluation, and disease surveillance. We present an updated review highlighting the prognostic and therapeutic significance of CTCs and ctDNA in NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Kapeleris
- Saliva and Liquid Biopsy Translational Laboratory, The Centre for Biomedical Technologies, The School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia.,Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Arutha Kulasinghe
- Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,The School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Ian Vela
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre, Queensland, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Department of Urology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia
| | - Liz Kenny
- School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Central Integrated Regional Cancer Service, Queensland Health, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Rahul Ladwa
- Department of Medical Oncology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia.,School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Kenneth O'Byrne
- Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Department of Medical Oncology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia
| | - Chamindie Punyadeera
- Saliva and Liquid Biopsy Translational Laboratory, The Centre for Biomedical Technologies, The School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia.,Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Saliva and Liquid Biopsy Translational Laboratory, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery and Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, Australia
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Damodara S, Arora J, Liaw PC, Fox-Robichaud AE, Selvaganapathy PR. Single-step measurement of cell-free DNA for sepsis prognosis using a thread-based microfluidic device. Mikrochim Acta 2022; 189:146. [PMID: 35298718 DOI: 10.1007/s00604-022-05245-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) content in plasma has been studied as a biomarker for sepsis. Recent publications show that the cfDNA content in sepsis patients entering intensive care unit who were likely to survive had a total cfDNA concentration of 1.16 ± 0.13 μg/mL compared to 4.65 ± 0.48 μg/mL of non-survivors. Current methods for measuring cfDNA content in plasma were designed to amplify and measure low concentrations of specific DNA, making them unsuitable for low-cost measurement of total cfDNA content in plasma. Here, we have developed a point of care (POC) device that uses a thread silicone device as a medium to store a fluorescent dye which eliminates the need for preparatory steps, external aliquoting and dispensing of reagents, preconcentration, and external mixing while reducing the detection cost. The device was paired with a portable imaging system with an excitation filter at 472 ± 10 nm and an emission filter of 520 ± 10 nm that can be operated with just 100 mA current supply. The device was demonstrated for use in the quantification of buffered cfDNA samples in a range 1-6 μg/mL with a sensitivity of 5.72 AU/μg/mL and with cfDNA spiked in plasma with a range of 1-3 μg/mL and a sensitivity of 5.43 AU/μg/mL. The results showed that the device could be used as a low-cost, rapid, and portable POC device for differentiating between survivors and non-survivors of sepsis within 20 min.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sreekant Damodara
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
| | - Jaskirat Arora
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
| | - Patricia C Liaw
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
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Cheng YH, Wang CH, Hsu KF, Lee GB. Integrated Microfluidic System for Cell-Free DNA Extraction from Plasma for Mutant Gene Detection and Quantification. Anal Chem 2022; 94:4311-4318. [PMID: 35235296 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c04988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer (OvCa) is among the most severe gynecologic cancers, yet individuals may be asymptomatic during its early stages. Routine, early screening for genetic abnormalities associated with OvCa could improve prognoses, and this can be achieved by detecting mutant genes in cell-free DNA (cfDNA). Herein, we developed an integrated microfluidic chip (IMC) that could extract cfDNA from plasma and automatically detect and quantify mutations in the OvCa biomarker BRCA1. The cfDNA extraction module relied on a vortex-type micromixer to mix cfDNA with magnetic beads surface-coated with cfDNA probes and could isolate 76% of molecules from a 200 μL plasma sample in 45 min. The cfDNA quantification module, which comprised a micropump that evenly distributed 4.5 μL of purified cfDNA into the on-chip, allele-specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) zones, was capable of quantifying mutant genes within 90 min. By automating the cfDNA extraction and qPCR processes, this IMC could be used for clinical screening for OvCa-associated mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Hung Cheng
- Department of Power Mechanical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Hung Wang
- Department of Power Mechanical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Keng-Fu Hsu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70403, Taiwan
| | - Gwo-Bin Lee
- Department of Power Mechanical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan.,Institute of NanoEngineering and MicroSystems, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
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7
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Schneider L, Usherwood T, Tripathi A. A microfluidic platform for high-purity cell free DNA extraction from plasma for non-invasive prenatal testing. Prenat Diagn 2022; 42:240-253. [PMID: 35032044 DOI: 10.1002/pd.6092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Increase the yield and purity of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) extracted from plasma for non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) as inefficiencies in this extraction and purification can dramatically affect the sensitivity and specificity of the test. METHODS This work integrates cfDNA extraction from plasma with a microfluidic chip platform by combining magnetic bead-based extraction and electroosmotic flow on the microfluidic chip. Various wash buffers and voltage conditions were simulated using COMSOL Multiphysics Modeling and tested experimentally. RESULTS When performing the first wash step of this assay on the microfluidic chip with 300 V applied across the channel there was a six-fold increase in the A260 /A230 ratio showing a significant improvement (p value 0.0005) in the purity of the extracted sample all while maintaining a yield of 68.19%. These values are critical as a high yield results in more sample to analyze and an increase in A260 /A230 ratio corresponds to a decrease in salt contaminants such as guanidinium thiocyanate which can interfere with downstream processes during DNA library preparation and potentially hinder the NIPT screening results. CONCLUSIONS This technique has the potential to improve NIPT outcomes and other clinically relevant workflows that use cfDNA as an analyte such as cancer detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay Schneider
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Thomas Usherwood
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Anubhav Tripathi
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
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9
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Shi L, Esfandiari L. Emerging on-chip electrokinetic based technologies for purification of circulating cancer biomarkers towards liquid biopsy: A review. Electrophoresis 2021; 43:288-308. [PMID: 34791687 DOI: 10.1002/elps.202100234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Early detection of cancer can significantly reduce mortality and save lives. However, the current cancer diagnosis is highly dependent on costly, complex, and invasive procedures. Thus, a great deal of effort has been devoted to exploring new technologies based on liquid biopsy. Since liquid biopsy relies on detection of circulating biomarkers from biofluids, it is critical to isolate highly purified cancer-related biomarkers, including circulating tumor cells (CTCs), cell-free nucleic acids (cell-free DNA and cell-free RNA), small extracellular vesicles (exosomes), and proteins. The current clinical purification techniques are facing a number of drawbacks including low purity, long processing time, high cost, and difficulties in standardization. Here, we review a promising solution, on-chip electrokinetic-based methods, that have the advantage of small sample volume requirement, minimal damage to the biomarkers, rapid, and label-free criteria. We have also discussed the existing challenges of current on-chip electrokinetic technologies and suggested potential solutions that may be worthy of future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leilei Shi
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, College of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Leyla Esfandiari
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, College of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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10
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An Y, Fan F, Jiang X, Sun K. Recent Advances in Liquid Biopsy of Brain Cancers. Front Genet 2021; 12:720270. [PMID: 34603383 PMCID: PMC8484876 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.720270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain cancers are among the top causes of death worldwide. Although, the survival rates vary widely depending on the type of the tumor, early diagnosis could generally benefit in better prognosis outcomes of the brain cancer patients. Conventionally, neuroimaging and biopsy are the most widely used approaches in diagnosis, subtyping, and prognosis monitoring of brain cancers, while emerging liquid biopsy assays using peripheral blood or cerebrospinal fluid have demonstrated many favorable characteristics in this task, especially due to their minimally invasive and easiness in sampling nature. Here, we review the recent studies in the liquid biopsy of brain cancers. We discuss the methodologies and performances of various assays on diagnosis, tumor subtyping, relapse prediction as well as prognosis monitoring in brain cancers, which approaches have made a big step toward clinical benefits of brain cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunyun An
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
| | - Fei Fan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaobing Jiang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Kun Sun
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
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11
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Obino D, Vassalli M, Franceschi A, Alessandrini A, Facci P, Viti F. An Overview on Microfluidic Systems for Nucleic Acids Extraction from Human Raw Samples. SENSORS 2021; 21:s21093058. [PMID: 33925730 PMCID: PMC8125272 DOI: 10.3390/s21093058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Nucleic acid (NA) extraction is a basic step for genetic analysis, from scientific research to diagnostic and forensic applications. It aims at preparing samples for its application with biomolecular technologies such as isothermal and non-isothermal amplification, hybridization, electrophoresis, Sanger sequencing and next-generation sequencing. Multiple steps are involved in NA collection from raw samples, including cell separation from the rest of the specimen, cell lysis, NA isolation and release. Typically, this process needs molecular biology facilities, specialized instrumentation and labor-intensive operations. Microfluidic devices have been developed to analyze NA samples with high efficacy and sensitivity. In this context, the integration within the chip of the sample preparation phase is crucial to leverage the promise of portable, fast, user-friendly and economic point-of-care solutions. This review presents an overview of existing lab-on-a-chip (LOC) solutions designed to provide automated NA extraction from human raw biological fluids, such as whole blood, excreta (urine and feces), saliva. It mainly focuses on LOC implementation aspects, aiming to describe a detailed panorama of strategies implemented for different human raw sample preparations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Obino
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, 16149 Genova, Italy; (D.O.); (F.V.)
| | - Massimo Vassalli
- Centre for the Cellular Microenvironment, James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, James Watt South Building, Glasgow G128LT, UK;
| | | | - Andrea Alessandrini
- Nanoscience Institute, National Research Council, 41125 Modena, Italy;
- Department of Physics, Informatics and Mathematics, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Paolo Facci
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, 16149 Genova, Italy; (D.O.); (F.V.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Federica Viti
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, 16149 Genova, Italy; (D.O.); (F.V.)
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Carvalho Â, Ferreira G, Seixas D, Guimarães-Teixeira C, Henrique R, Monteiro FJ, Jerónimo C. Emerging Lab-on-a-Chip Approaches for Liquid Biopsy in Lung Cancer: Status in CTCs and ctDNA Research and Clinical Validation. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13092101. [PMID: 33925308 PMCID: PMC8123575 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13092101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Lung cancer (LCa) remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, with late diagnosis and limited therapeutic approaches still constraining patient’s outcome. In recent years, liquid biopsies have significantly improved the disease characterization and brought new insights into LCa diagnosis and management. The integration of microfluidic devices in liquid biopsies have shown promising results regarding circulating biomarkers isolation and analysis and these tools are expected to establish automatized and standardized results for liquid biopsies in the near future. Herein, we review the status of lab-on-a-chip approaches for liquid biopsies in LCa and highlight their current applications for circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) research and clinical validation studies. Abstract Despite the intensive efforts dedicated to cancer diagnosis and treatment, lung cancer (LCa) remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality, worldwide. The poor survival rate among lung cancer patients commonly results from diagnosis at late-stage, limitations in characterizing tumor heterogeneity and the lack of non-invasive tools for detection of residual disease and early recurrence. Henceforth, research on liquid biopsies has been increasingly devoted to overcoming these major limitations and improving management of LCa patients. Liquid biopsy is an emerging field that has evolved significantly in recent years due its minimally invasive nature and potential to assess various disease biomarkers. Several strategies for characterization of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) have been developed. With the aim of standardizing diagnostic and follow-up practices, microfluidic devices have been introduced to improve biomarkers isolation efficiency and specificity. Nonetheless, implementation of lab-on-a-chip platforms in clinical practice may face some challenges, considering its recent application to liquid biopsies. In this review, recent advances and strategies for the use of liquid biopsies in LCa management are discussed, focusing on high-throughput microfluidic devices applied for CTCs and ctDNA isolation and detection, current clinical validation studies and potential clinical utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ângela Carvalho
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (G.F.); (D.S.); (F.J.M.)
- INEB-Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (P.CCC), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal; (C.G.-T.); (R.H.); (C.J.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +351-226-074-900
| | - Gabriela Ferreira
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (G.F.); (D.S.); (F.J.M.)
- INEB-Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (P.CCC), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal; (C.G.-T.); (R.H.); (C.J.)
| | - Duarte Seixas
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (G.F.); (D.S.); (F.J.M.)
- INEB-Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (P.CCC), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal; (C.G.-T.); (R.H.); (C.J.)
- Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Group, IPO Porto Research Center (GEBC CI-IPOP), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
| | - Catarina Guimarães-Teixeira
- Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (P.CCC), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal; (C.G.-T.); (R.H.); (C.J.)
- Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Group, IPO Porto Research Center (GEBC CI-IPOP), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
| | - Rui Henrique
- Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (P.CCC), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal; (C.G.-T.); (R.H.); (C.J.)
- Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Group, IPO Porto Research Center (GEBC CI-IPOP), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Pathology, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto (ICBAS-UP), Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-513 Porto, Portugal
| | - Fernando J. Monteiro
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (G.F.); (D.S.); (F.J.M.)
- INEB-Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (P.CCC), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal; (C.G.-T.); (R.H.); (C.J.)
- Faculdade de Engenharia, Departamento de Engenharia Metalúrgica e Materiais, Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr Roberto Frias, s/n, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Carmen Jerónimo
- Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (P.CCC), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal; (C.G.-T.); (R.H.); (C.J.)
- Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Group, IPO Porto Research Center (GEBC CI-IPOP), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto (ICBAS-UP), Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-513 Porto, Portugal
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Tan HY, Toh YC. What can microfluidics do for human microbiome research? BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2020; 14:051303. [PMID: 33062112 PMCID: PMC7538166 DOI: 10.1063/5.0012185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Dysregulation of the human microbiome has been linked to various disease states, which has galvanized the efforts to modulate human health through microbiomes. Currently, human microbiome research is going through several phases to identify the constituent components of the microbiome, associate microbiome changes with physiological and pathological states, understand causative relationships, and finally translate this knowledge into therapeutics and diagnostics. The convergence of microfluidic technologies with molecular and cell profiling, microbiology, and tissue engineering can potentially be applied to these different phases of microbiome research to overcome the existing challenges faced by conventional approaches. The goal of this paper is to discuss and highlight the opportunities of applying different microfluidic technologies to specific areas of microbiome research as well as unique challenges that microfluidics must overcome when working with microbiome-relevant biological materials, e.g., micro-organisms, host tissues, and fluids. We will discuss the applicability of integrated microfluidic systems for processing biological samples for genomic sequencing analyses. For functional analysis of the microbiota, we will cover state-of-the-art microfluidic devices for microbiota cultivation and functional measurements. Finally, we highlight the use of organs-on-chips to model various microbiome-host tissue interactions. We envision that microfluidic technologies may hold great promise in advancing the knowledge on the interplay between microbiome and human health, as well as its eventual translation into microbiome-based diagnostics and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsih-Yin Tan
- Institute for Health Innovation and Technology, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599
| | - Yi-Chin Toh
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed:
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Poly-L-histidine coated microfluidic devices for bacterial DNA purification without chaotropic solutions. Biomed Microdevices 2020; 22:44. [PMID: 32572586 DOI: 10.1007/s10544-020-00497-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
We present a disposable polymeric microfluidic device capable of reversibly binding and purifying Salmonella DNA through solid phase extraction (SPE). The microfluidic channels are first oxygen plasma treated and simultaneously micro-nanotextured, and then functionalized with amine groups via modification with L-histidine or poly-L-histidine. L-Histidine and poly-L-histidine bind on the plasma treated chip surface, and are not detached when rinsing with DNA purification protocol buffers. A pH-dependent protocol is applied on-chip to purify Salmonella DNA, which is first bound on the protonated amines at a pH (5.0) lower than their pKa of surface amine-groups which is 6.0 and then released at a pH higher than the pKa value (10.5). It was found that modification with poly-L-histidine resulted in higher surface density of amine groups onto microfluidic channel. Using the chip modified with poly-L-histidine, high recovery efficiency of at least 550 ng of isolated Salmonella DNA as well as DNA purification from Salmonella cell lysates corresponding to less than 5000 cells or 0.026 ng of Salmonella DNA was achieved. The protocol developed does not require ethanol or chaotropic solutions typically used in DNA purification, which are known inhibitors for downstream operations such as polymerase chain reactions (PCR) and which can also attack some polymeric microfluidic materials. Therefore, the microfluidic device and the related protocol hold promise for facile incorporation in microfluidics and Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) platforms for pathogen detection or in general for DNA purification.
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