Electrically driven microfluidic platforms for exosome manipulation and characterization

Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles that can be obtained from several body fluids such as blood and urine. Since these vesicles can carry biomarkers and other cargo, they have application in healthcare diagnostics and therapeutics, such as liquid biopsies and drug delivery. Yet, their identification and separation from a sample remain challenging due to their high degree of heterogeneity and their co-existence with other bioparticles. In this contribution, we review the state-of-the-art on electrical techniques and methods to displace, selectively trap/isolate, and detect/characterize exosomes in microfluidic devices. Although there are many reviews focused on exosome separation using benchtop equipment, such as ultracentrifugation, there are limited reviews focusing on the use of electrical phenomena in microfluidic devices for exosome manipulation and detection. Here, we highlight contributions published during the past decade and present perspectives for this research field for the near future, outlining challenges to address in years to come.

Automated summary

This review focuses on the state-of-the-art electrical techniques and methods for manipulating and detecting exosomes in microfluidic devices. While there are numerous reviews on exosome separation using benchtop equipment like ultracentrifugation, there is a lack of reviews specifically addressing the use of electrical phenomena in microfluidic devices for exosome manipulation and detection. Highlights from the past decade and future perspectives for this research field are presented, outlining challenges to be addressed in the coming years.