Lab-on-a-Chip Platforms for Liquid Biopsies Applications 2.1. use of microfluidic-based platforms with low consumption of reagent, and it does not require specialized staff and expensive gear for the diagnosis. In recent years, the integration of sensors in microfluidics lab-on-a-chip devices was performed for liquid biopsies applications, granting significant advantages in the separation and detection of circulating tumor nucleic acids (ctNAs), circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and exosomes. The improvements in isolation and detection technologies offer progressively sensitive and selective equipments, and Implitapide the Implitapide integration in microfluidic Implitapide devices provides a better characterization and analysis of these biomarkers. These fully integrated systems will facilitate the generation of fully automatized platforms at low-cost for compact cancer diagnosis systems at an early stage and for the prediction and prognosis of malignancy treatment through the biomarkers for personalized tumor analysis. strong class=”kwd-title” Keywords: malignancy, circulant tumor DNA (ctDNA), liquid biopsy, microfluidic, sensors, circulant tumor cells (CTC), exosomes 1. Introduction Uncontrollable cell growth is produced due to the accumulation of genetic and epigenetic modifications that regulate the main tumor cell functions, such as proliferation, survival, development, propagation, and differentiation. This disorder, along with its respective alterations, gives rise to a series of heterogeneous diseases known as cancer. This condition is considered the second cause of death globally and according to the latest estimated cancer statistics available within the Global Malignancy Observatory (GLOBOCAN) project, the number of malignancy incidences has continued to increase drastically, reaching 18.1 million cases in 2018 and is estimated to be 29.5 million in 2040 [1]. Among several techniques, tissue biopsy is still considered the most common malignancy diagnosis process worldwide, which requires the removal of a portion belonging to the original lesion. In order to determine a patient-specific tailored treatment, the histologic characterization of the fragment is performed. In many instances, however, the patient that is undergoing tissue biopsy can experience some risks, such as tumour sampling near main organs Implitapide and vessels, lesions located in tricky regions of the brain etc. Imaging techniques are also used in conjunction with tissue biopsies to offer a better profiling of the tumor. These are, however, inadequate for a thorough study of the tumor, in addition to high radiation levels provided by radiology, which might expose the patient to a health problem. Fortunately, this is now evolving, and the oncological community has intensified its emphasis on radiation safety, contributing to developments in technology, the implementation of new imaging procedures, and reasonable usage criteria to minimize and limit the exposure to radiation. The detection of minimal residual disease (MRD) is considered a main parameter regarding the patients treatment and monitoring, and non-radiation methods, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, are still inconclusive and inadequate [2]. Therapeutic methods and patient-tailored treatments are generally established based on the tumor molecular profile. The molecular structure of the tumor, however, changes rapidly through time as a result of a combination of internal and external factors with numerous effects. The tumor has temporal and spatial heterogeneity [3] and is produced in some cases by stress over certain tumor regions that alter the genomic structure of it [4]. Even inter-and intratumoral convergent phenotypic development has been discovered in several regions of the same tumor [5]. The challenge of conducting a single biopsy-based therapeutic intervention and monitoring underestimates the magnitude of the tumor genomics, which is usually highlighted by its heterogeneity. Moreover, for a more effective tailored diagnosis of malignancy, the progression of the tumor must be tracked at several time intervals. Several tissue biopsies, from both main and metastatic lesion, Rabbit polyclonal to PCDHB11 are taken as the actions to be considered. However, the inherent health hazards, possible surgical complications, and economic considerations are just some of the many pitfalls in the Implitapide acquisition of tissue biopsies, underlining the pointlessness of performing several biopsies. However, in certain body locations, the threat of metastatic proliferation or malignancy seeding can be raised by the removal of certain tumors that are unable to be reached through biopsy [6]. As a result, it is important to search for minimally invasive biomarkers so that an early detection technology can be available, with its respective frequent monitoring along with malignancy therapy. There has been unprecedented eagerness in the medical community to explore the molecular environment of solid tumors by a blood draw, a process known as Liquid Biopsy. Liquid biopsy has very relevant advantages,.