A microfluidic device, detailed in our approach, facilitates the capture and separation of inflowing components from whole blood, achieved via antibody-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles. This device facilitates the isolation of pancreatic cancer-derived exosomes from whole blood, dispensing with the need for any pretreatment and delivering high sensitivity.

Applications of cell-free DNA in clinical medicine encompass cancer diagnosis and monitoring treatment efficacy. Microfluidic-based systems promise rapid and economical, decentralized detection of circulating tumor DNA in blood samples, also known as liquid biopsies, eliminating the need for invasive procedures or expensive imaging techniques. We describe, within this method, a basic microfluidic platform designed for the extraction of cell-free DNA from limited plasma samples, measuring 500 microliters. For both static and continuous flow systems, the technique is appropriate, and it can function as a separate module or be integrated into a lab-on-chip system. A bubble-based micromixer module, characterized by its simplicity yet high versatility, forms the core of the system. Its custom components are fabricated using a combination of affordable rapid prototyping techniques or ordered via widely available 3D-printing services. With this system, cell-free DNA extractions from small blood plasma samples demonstrate a tenfold increase in capture efficiency, excelling control methods.

The evaluation of fine-needle aspiration (FNA) specimens from cysts, which are fluid-filled sacs sometimes holding precancerous tissue, gains a considerable increase in diagnostic accuracy through rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE), but this relies greatly on the cytopathologist's skill and availability. A semiautomated sample preparation device for ROSE is demonstrated. A capillary-driven chamber, coupled with a smearing tool, allows for the smearing and staining of an FNA sample within the device's confines. Using a human pancreatic cancer cell line (PANC-1) and FNA samples from the liver, lymph node, and thyroid, the device's proficiency in preparing samples for ROSE is highlighted in this demonstration. Through the utilization of microfluidics, the device lessens the equipment required for FNA specimen preparation in operating rooms, which may facilitate a wider acceptance of ROSE procedures in healthcare settings.

Analysis of circulating tumor cells, facilitated by emerging enabling technologies, has recently offered novel insights into cancer management strategies. However, a significant number of the developed technologies are encumbered by the high cost, the length of time involved in the workflow, and the reliance on specialized equipment and operators. BML-284 in vivo A microfluidic device-based workflow for isolating and characterizing single circulating tumor cells is proposed herein. By handling the entire process, a laboratory technician can complete it in just a few hours after sample collection, without any reliance on microfluidic expertise.

Microfluidic devices excel in generating large datasets by utilizing smaller quantities of cells and reagents, a marked improvement over conventional well plate techniques. Complex, 3-dimensional preclinical solid tumor models, tailored in size and cellular composition, are also enabled by these miniaturized techniques. The ability to recreate the tumor microenvironment for preclinical immunotherapy and combination therapy screening, at a manageable scale, is crucial for lowering experimental costs during treatment development. This is facilitated by the use of physiologically relevant 3D tumor models, which allows for assessing the efficacy of therapies. In this report, the fabrication of microfluidic devices and the associated protocols for growing tumor-stromal spheroids are presented to evaluate the potency of anti-cancer immunotherapies, both as single agents and within a multi-therapeutic approach.

High-resolution confocal microscopy, in conjunction with genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs), provides a means for visualizing calcium dynamics in cells and tissues. tropical infection Programmable 2D and 3D biocompatible materials are employed to mimic the mechanical microenvironments of healthy and cancerous tissues. Cancer xenograft models, coupled with ex vivo functional imaging of tumor slices, expose the physiologically pertinent roles of calcium dynamics within tumors throughout various stages of progression. Our ability to quantify, diagnose, model, and understand cancer pathobiology is enhanced by the integration of these powerful techniques. Acute intrahepatic cholestasis The creation of this integrated interrogation platform relies on a detailed methodology, encompassing the generation of transduced cancer cell lines stably expressing CaViar (GCaMP5G + QuasAr2), followed by in vitro and ex vivo calcium imaging within 2D/3D hydrogels and tumor tissues. These tools provide the capability for thorough investigations into the intricacies of mechano-electro-chemical network dynamics within living systems.

Promising disease screening biosensors, leveraging nonselective impedimetric electronic tongue technology combined with machine learning, are poised for wider adoption. These point-of-care devices offer fast, accurate, and straightforward analysis, promising to decentralize and streamline laboratory testing, achieving significant social and economic benefits. Employing a cost-effective and scalable electronic tongue coupled with machine learning, this chapter elucidates the concurrent quantification of two extracellular vesicle (EV) biomarkers, namely the concentrations of EVs and their associated proteins, in the blood of mice with Ehrlich tumors. The process uses a single impedance spectrum, thereby eliminating the use of biorecognition elements. A key indication of mammary tumor cells is present in this tumor. Microfluidic chips fabricated from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) now incorporate HB pencil core electrodes. The platform achieves superior throughput compared to the literature's techniques for quantifying EV biomarkers.

For advancing research into the molecular hallmarks of metastasis and developing personalized treatments for cancer patients, the selective capture and release of viable circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from peripheral blood is a substantial gain. In the clinical arena, CTC-based liquid biopsies are experiencing a surge in popularity, providing clinicians with real-time patient response tracking during clinical trials and enabling access to cancers often challenging to diagnose. Despite their low prevalence relative to the vast number of cells found within the circulatory network, CTCs have spurred the creation of novel microfluidic technologies. Current microfluidic approaches for circulating tumor cells (CTCs) isolation are frequently plagued by a fundamental dilemma: attaining a substantial increase in circulating tumor cell concentration often comes at a considerable expense to cellular viability, or if viability is maintained, the enrichment of circulating tumor cells is suboptimal. This paper outlines a procedure for the design and operation of a microfluidic device for capturing circulating tumor cells (CTCs) at high efficiency, ensuring high cell viability. Functionalized with nanointerfaces, microvortex-inducing microfluidic devices effectively enrich circulating tumor cells (CTCs) using cancer-specific immunoaffinity. A thermally responsive surface chemistry subsequently releases these captured cells at an elevated temperature of 37 degrees Celsius.

This chapter details the materials and methods used to isolate and characterize circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from cancer patient blood samples, employing our novel microfluidic technology. Herein presented devices are explicitly designed for compatibility with atomic force microscopy (AFM) enabling post-capture nanomechanical study of circulating tumor cells. The established technique of microfluidics enables the isolation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from the whole blood of cancer patients, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) remains the gold standard for quantitatively analyzing the biophysical properties of cells. Circulating tumor cells, though naturally scarce, are often inaccessible to atomic force microscopy analysis if captured using standard closed-channel microfluidic devices. Accordingly, their nanomechanical properties have not been extensively studied. Thus, the inherent restrictions in current microfluidic frameworks propel intensive efforts towards the creation of novel designs for the real-time evaluation of circulating tumor cells. In view of this persistent pursuit, this chapter's aim is to synthesize our recent contributions on two microfluidic platforms, namely, the AFM-Chip and the HB-MFP, which demonstrated effectiveness in isolating CTCs through antibody-antigen interactions, and their subsequent analysis using AFM.

The prompt and precise screening of cancer drugs is crucial for personalized medicine. Nevertheless, the small amount of tumor biopsy specimens has prevented the use of conventional drug screening protocols with microwell plates for each unique patient. For the precise handling of very small sample quantities, a microfluidic system stands out as ideal. This novel platform provides a strong foundation for nucleic acid and cellular assays. Nevertheless, the efficient dispensing of cancer treatments on integrated microfluidic devices, within a clinical cancer screening context, continues to be problematic. To achieve a targeted concentration of drugs, the process of merging similar-sized droplets for drug addition proved to significantly complicate the on-chip drug dispensing protocols. In this work, a novel digital microfluidic system is presented, incorporating a specially designed electrode (a drug dispenser). It dispenses drugs via droplet electro-ejection triggered by a high-voltage actuation signal that can be readily controlled by external electrical means. Screened drug concentrations within this system are capable of a dynamic range extending up to four orders of magnitude, all while requiring very little sample consumption. Electrically controlled delivery systems allow for precise amounts of drugs to be administered to the cellular specimen. In addition to the foregoing, on-chip screening of both individual and combined drugs is readily possible.