Microfluidic device for one-step detection of breast cancer-derived exosomal mRNA in blood using signal-amplifiable 3D nanostructure

Abstract Metastasis attributed to approximately 90% of cancer-related deaths; hence, the detection of metastatic tumor–derived components in the blood assists in determining cancer recurrence and patient survival. Microfluidic–based sensors facilitate analysis of small fluid volumes and represent an accurate, rapid, and user-friendly method of field diagnoses. In this study, we have developed a microfluidic chip-based exosomal mRNA sensor (exoNA-sensing chip) for the one-step detection of exosomal ERBB2 in the blood by integrating a microfluidic chip and 3D-nanostructured hydrogels. The exoNA-sensing chip is a vacuum-driven power-free microfluidic chip that can accurately control the flow of trace fluids (