Paper-based ITP technology: An application to specific cancer-derived exosome detection and analysis.

Exosomes derived from cancer cells/tissues have great potential for early cancer diagnostic use, but their clinical potential has not been fully explored because of a lack of cost-effective multiplex approaches capable of effectively isolating and identifying specific exosome populations and analyzing their content biomarkers. This study was aimed at overcoming the technical barrier by developing a paper-based isotachophoresis (ITP) technology capable of 1) rapid isolation and identification of exosomes from both malignant and healthy cells and 2) multiplex detection of selected exosomal protein biomarkers of the target exosomes. The technology integrates the focusing power of ITP and the multiplex capability of paper-based lateral flow to achieve on-board separation of target exosomes from large extracellular vesicles, followed by electrokinetic enrichment of the targets, leading to an ultrasensitive platform for comprehensive exosome analysis.