Microfluidic platform for circulating tumor cells isolation and detection

Abstract

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are essential biomarkers for liquid biopsies, which are important in the early screening, prognosis, and real-time monitoring of cancer. However, CTCs are less abundant in the peripheral blood of patients, therefore, their isolation is necessary. Recently, the use of microfluidics for CTC sorting has become a research hotspot owing to its low cost, ease of integration, low sample consumption, and unique advantages in the manipulation of micron-sized particles. Herein, we review the latest research on microfluidics-based CTC sorting. Specifically, we consider active sorting using external fields (electric, magnetic, acoustic, and optical tweezers) and passive sorting using the flow effects of cells in specific channel structures (microfiltration sorting, deterministic lateral displacement sorting, and inertial sorting). The advantages and limitations of each method and their recent applications are summarized here. To conclude, a forward-looking perspective is presented on future research on the microfluidic sorting of CTCs.