Recent Advances in Drug Delivery System Fabricated by Microfluidics for Disease Therapy

Exploring the Essential Use Concept for Primary Microplastics Regulation in the EU

With the increasing prevalence of plastic pollution, including microplastics (MPs, particles <5 mm), the pursuit of safer and more sustainable alternatives gains increasing traction. While a substantial portion of MPs in the environment arises from the degradation of plastic litter and the wear of polymer-containing materials (secondary MPs), deliberate incorporation of MPs in certain products (primary MPs) also represents a considerable source, and targeted measures can be implemented to minimize human exposure and environmental releases. Improved policies for managing macroplastic waste help mitigate secondary MPs, but addressing primary MPs requires distinct strategies. Globally, various approaches, such as bans or restrictions on primary MPs, have been proposed, including the recent EU regulation under REACH, which groups intentionally added MPs together based on their diverse uses and properties. However, applying the Essential Use Concept (EUC) provides a more refined regulatory approach; balancing environmental health, technical feasibility, and innovation. This perspective explores the potential, challenges, and limitations of implementing the EUC for primary MPs. By examining four use cases─controlled-release medicines, agricultural seed coatings, personal care products, and artificial turf infill─we highlight how the EUC can prioritize essential and beneficial applications while phasing out nonessential uses.

Microfluidics-assisted Tumor Cell Separation Approaches for Clinical Applications: An Overview on Emerging Devices

Recent advances in science and technology have led to revolutions in many scientific and industrial fields. The term lab on a chip, or in other words, performing a variety of complex analyses in just a short time and a minimal space, is a term that has become very common in recent years, and what used to be a dream has now come to life in practice. In this paper, we tried to investigate a specific type of lab technology on a chip, which is, of course, one of the most common, namely the knowledge and technology of cell separation by using a microfluidic technique that can be separated based on size and deformation, adhesion and electrical properties. The tissue of the human body is degraded due to injury or aging. It is often tried to treat this tissue disorder by using drugs, but they are not always enough. Stem cell-based medicine is a novel form that promises the restoration or regeneration of tissues and functioning organs. Although many models of microfluidic systems have been designed for cell separation, choosing the appropriate device to achieve a reliable result is a challenge. Therefore, in this study, Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS), Dielectrophoresis (DEP), Magnetic Activated Cell Sorting (MACS), and Acoustic microfluidic system are four distinct categories of active microfluidic systems explored. Also, the advantages, disadvantages, and the current status of the devices mentioned in these methods are reviewed.

Electrochemical biosensors on microfluidic chips as promising tools to study microbial biofilms: a review

Microbial biofilms play a pivotal role in microbial infections and antibiotic resistance due to their unique properties, driving the urgent need for advanced methodologies to study their behavior comprehensively across varied environmental contexts. While electrochemical biosensors have demonstrated success in understanding the dynamics of biofilms, scientists are now synergistically merging these biosensors with microfluidic technology. This combined approach offers heightened precision, sensitivity, and real-time monitoring capabilities, promising a more comprehensive understanding of biofilm behavior and its implications. Our review delves into recent advancements in electrochemical biosensors on microfluidic chips, specifically tailored for investigating biofilm dynamics, virulence, and properties. Through a critical examination of these advantages, properties and applications of these devices, the review highlights the transformative potential of this technology in advancing our understanding of microbial biofilms in different settings.

Microphysiological system with integrated sensors to study the effect of pulsed electric field

This study focuses on the use of pulsed electric fields (PEF) in microfluidics for controlled cell studies. The commonly used material for soft lithography, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), does not fully ensure the necessary chemical and mechanical resistance in these systems. Integration of specific analytical measurement setups into microphysiological systems (MPS) are also challenging. We present an off-stoichiometry thiol-ene (OSTE)-based microchip, containing integrated electrodes for PEF and transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) measurement and the equipment to monitor pH and oxygen concentration in situ. The effectiveness of the MPS was empirically demonstrated through PEF treatment of the C6 cells. The effects of PEF treatment on cell viability and permeability to the fluorescent dye DapI were tested in two modes: stop flow and continuous flow. The maximum permeability was achieved at 1.8 kV/cm with 16 pulses in stop flow mode and 64 pulses per cell in continuous flow mode, without compromising cell viability. Two integrated sensors detected changes in oxygen concentration before and after the PEF treatment, and the pH shifted towards alkalinity following PEF treatment. Therefore, our proof-of-concept technology serves as an MPS for PEF treatment of mammalian cells, enabling in situ physiological monitoring.

Microfluidics for personalized drug delivery

This review highlights the transformative impact of microfluidic technology on personalized drug delivery. Microfluidics addresses issues in traditional drug synthesis, providing precise control and scalability in nanoparticle fabrication, and microfluidic platforms show high potential for versatility, offering patient-specific dosing and real-time monitoring capabilities, all integrated into wearable technology. Covalent conjugation of antibodies to nanoparticles improves bioactivity, driving innovations in drug targeting. The integration of microfluidics with sensor technologies and artificial intelligence facilitates real-time feedback and autonomous adaptation in drug delivery systems. Key challenges, such as droplet polydispersity and fluidic handling, along with future directions focusing on scalability and reliability, are essential considerations in advancing microfluidics for personalized drug delivery.

An Overview of the Use of Nanoparticles in Vaccine Development

Vaccines represent one of the most significant advancements in public health since they prevented morbidity and mortality in millions of people every year. Conventionally, vaccine technology focused on either live attenuated or inactivated vaccines. However, the application of nanotechnology to vaccine development revolutionized the field. Nanoparticles emerged in both academia and the pharmaceutical industry as promising vectors to develop future vaccines. Regardless of the striking development of nanoparticles vaccines research and the variety of conceptually and structurally different formulations proposed, only a few of them advanced to clinical investigation and usage in the clinic so far. This review covered some of the most important developments of nanotechnology applied to vaccine technologies in the last few years, focusing on the successful race for the preparation of lipid nanoparticles employed in the successful anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.

Droplets microfluidics platform-A tool for single cell research

Cells are the most basic structural and functional units of living organisms. Studies of cell growth, differentiation, apoptosis, and cell-cell interactions can help scientists understand the mysteries of living systems. However, there is considerable heterogeneity among cells. Great differences between individuals can be found even within the same cell cluster. Cell heterogeneity can only be clearly expressed and distinguished at the level of single cells. The development of droplet microfluidics technology opens up a new chapter for single-cell analysis. Microfluidic chips can produce many nanoscale monodisperse droplets, which can be used as small isolated micro-laboratories for various high-throughput, precise single-cell analyses. Moreover, gel droplets with good biocompatibility can be used in single-cell cultures and coupled with biomolecules for various downstream analyses of cellular metabolites. The droplets are also maneuverable; through physical and chemical forces, droplets can be divided, fused, and sorted to realize single-cell screening and other related studies. This review describes the channel design, droplet generation, and control technology of droplet microfluidics and gives a detailed overview of the application of droplet microfluidics in single-cell culture, single-cell screening, single-cell detection, and other aspects. Moreover, we provide a recent review of the application of droplet microfluidics in tumor single-cell immunoassays, describe in detail the advantages of microfluidics in tumor research, and predict the development of droplet microfluidics at the single-cell level.