Abstract

Lab-on-a-Disc For Precision Medicine

Yoon-Kyoung Cho, Professor, Ulsan National Institute of Science & Technology

Liquid biopsy is a promising alternative to tissue biopsy for cancer clinics, as it can provide valuable information on circulating biomarkers and aid in treatment planning for individual patients. However, the process can be expensive, complex, and requires large sample volumes, with low sensitivity being a significant limitation. To address these challenges, we have developed "lab-on-a-disc" systems that utilize centrifugal force to analyze cancer-related biomarkers in biological fluids such as blood or urine. Our system can isolate and detect liquid biopsy markers such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), and extracellular vesicles (EVs). We have tested our system using clinical samples from cancer patients and are excited to introduce our fluid-assisted separation technology, which allows for fast, uniform, clog-free, and efficient filtration. Additionally, we will discuss our recent studies on the potential of extracellular vesicles (EVs) as cancer biomarkers, which could have significant implications for cancer diagnostics. In addition, we will introduce a hand-powered centrifugal bacterial isolation device to determine the bacterial load and to test antibiotics susceptibility which is designed for the usage in resource-limited settings. We believe that our innovative microfluidic tools can accelerate the translation of liquid biopsy technology into real clinical settings, directly impacting patient care.