Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China.
Analyst. 2022 May 30;147(11):2294-2316. doi: 10.1039/d1an02321g.
Single-cell manipulation and analysis is critical to the study of many fundamental biological processes and uncovering cellular heterogeneity, and presents the potential for extremely valuable applications in biomedical fields, including neuroscience, regenerative therapy, early diagnosis, and drug screening. The use of microfluidic technologies in single-cell manipulation and analysis is one of the most promising approaches and enables the creation of innovative conditions that are impractical or impossible to achieve using conventional methods. Herein, an overview of the technological development of single-cell droplet microfluidics is presented. The significant advantages of microfluidic droplet technology, the dynamic parameters affecting droplet production, and the geometric structures of microfluidic devices are emphasized. Furthermore, the progress to date in passive and active droplet generation methods based on microfluidics and various microfluidic tools for the production of single-cell droplets and hydrogel microspheres are summarized. Their key features, achievements, and limitations associated with single-cell droplet and hydrogel formation are discussed. The recent popularized applications of single-cell droplet microfluidics in biomedicine involving small-molecule detection, protein analysis, and drug screening and genetic analysis of single cells are explored too. Finally, the challenges that must be overcome to enable future applications in single-cell droplet microfluidics are highlighted.
单细胞操作和分析对于研究许多基本的生物学过程和揭示细胞异质性至关重要，并有可能在生物医学领域（包括神经科学、再生疗法、早期诊断和药物筛选）带来极具价值的应用。在单细胞操作和分析中使用微流控技术是最有前途的方法之一，它能够创造出传统方法难以实现或不可能实现的创新条件。本文概述了单细胞液滴微流控技术的技术发展。强调了微流控液滴技术的显著优势、影响液滴产生的动态参数以及微流控器件的几何结构。此外，还总结了基于微流控的被动和主动液滴生成方法的最新进展，以及用于产生单细胞液滴和水凝胶微球的各种微流控工具。讨论了它们与单细胞液滴和水凝胶形成相关的关键特性、成就和局限性。还探讨了单细胞液滴微流控在涉及小分子检测、蛋白质分析、药物筛选和单细胞遗传分析的生物医学中的最新普及应用。最后，强调了为实现单细胞液滴微流控的未来应用必须克服的挑战。
