A Novel Microfluidic Strategy for Efficient Exosome Separation via Thermally Oxidized Non-Uniform Deterministic Lateral Displacement (DLD) Arrays and Dielectrophoresis (DEP) Synergy

Exosomes, with diameters ranging from 30 to 150 nm, are saucer-shaped extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by various type of human cells. They are present in virtually all bodily fluids. Owing to their abundant nucleic acid and protein content, exosomes have emerged as promising biomarkers for non...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biosensors (Basel) 2024-04, Vol.14 (4), p.174
Main Authors: Wang, Dayin, Yang, Shijia, Wang, Ning, Guo, Han, Feng, Shilun, Luo, Yuan, Zhao, Jianlong
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Arrays
Biomarkers
Body fluids
deterministic lateral displacement (DLD)
Dielectric properties
Dielectrophoresis
dielectrophoresis (DEP)
Electric fields
Electrophoresis
Exosomes
Extracellular vesicles
Fabrication
Humans
Lateral displacement
Lipoproteins
Microfluidic Analytical Techniques
microfluidic separation
Microfluidics
Nanoparticles
Nanoparticles - chemistry
Nucleic acids
Oxidation
Oxidation-Reduction
Polystyrene
Polystyrene resins
Reagents
Reynolds number
Separation
thermal oxidation
Viscoelasticity
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Summary:Exosomes, with diameters ranging from 30 to 150 nm, are saucer-shaped extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by various type of human cells. They are present in virtually all bodily fluids. Owing to their abundant nucleic acid and protein content, exosomes have emerged as promising biomarkers for noninvasive molecular diagnostics. However, the need for exosome separation purification presents tremendous technical challenges due to their minuscule size. In recent years, microfluidic technology has garnered substantial interest as a promising alternative capable of excellent separation performance, reduced reagent consumption, and lower overall device and operation costs. In this context, we hereby propose a novel microfluidic strategy based on thermally oxidized deterministic lateral displacement (DLD) arrays with tapered shapes to enhance separation performance. We have achieved more than 90% purity in both polystyrene nanoparticle and exosome experiments. The use of thermal oxidation also significantly reduces fabrication complexity by avoiding the use of high-precision lithography. Furthermore, in a simulation model, we attempt to integrate the use of dielectrophoresis (DEP) to overcome the size-based nature of DLD and distinguish particles that are close in size but differ in biochemical compositions (e.g., lipoproteins, exomeres, retroviruses). We believe the proposed strategy heralds a versatile and innovative platform poised to enhance exosome analysis across a spectrum of biochemical applications.
ISSN:2079-6374
2079-6374
DOI:10.3390/bios14040174