Ebrahim Noura A A, Farghaly Thoraya A, Soliman Soliman M A
Oncologic Pathology Department, National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Med Oncol. 2025 Sep 3;42(10):462. doi: 10.1007/s12032-025-03021-8.
Pancreatic cancer is among the most lethal forms of cancer, with a five-year survival rate under 7%, primarily due to its late clinical presentation and rapid disease progression. Although the oncogenic development of pancreatic tumors can span over a decade, early diagnosis remains a major clinical challenge, as current diagnostic approaches-including imaging modalities and blood-based markers like CA19-9-lack the requisite sensitivity for detecting early-stage disease. Liquid biopsy has emerged as a promising, non-invasive diagnostic technique by enabling the detection of circulating tumor-specific nucleic acids, particularly circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and microRNAs (miRNAs). However, the practical use of these biomarkers is limited by their low concentrations in early disease stages, molecular fragility, and the demanding nature of current detection methods. The advent of 4D printing-a transformative advancement in additive manufacturing utilizing stimuli-responsive materials-has introduced novel opportunities for biomedical sensing. These responsive microdevices can undergo spatiotemporal changes, allowing for precise, time-regulated capture of molecular targets. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of 4D-printed micro- and nanodevices designed for ctDNA and miRNA detection, with an emphasis on their potential utility in pancreatic cancer diagnostics. We examine material selection, actuation strategies, fluid dynamics, device architecture, and emerging prototypes. Furthermore, the review considers clinical translation challenges, including regulatory pathways and integration into personalized medicine frameworks. In contrast to conventional PCR and NGS techniques-which, despite their high sensitivity, are often hindered by labor-intensive sample preparation, extended processing times, and reduced efficiency in identifying low-abundance biomarkers during the early stages of pancreatic cancer-4D-printed biosensors provide a dynamic, stimuli-responsive approach capable of enabling faster, more selective, and potentially point-of-care detection of ctDNA and miRNA. By combining smart material responsiveness with precise molecular capture mechanisms and compact device architectures, these platforms hold promise for addressing the sensitivity and stability challenges that limit traditional molecular diagnostic methods. Collectively, 4D-printed biosensors represent a promising frontier for advancing the early detection and real-time monitoring of pancreatic cancer.
胰腺癌是最致命的癌症形式之一,五年生存率低于7%,主要原因是其临床症状出现较晚且疾病进展迅速。尽管胰腺肿瘤的致癌发展过程可能长达十多年,但早期诊断仍然是一项重大临床挑战,因为包括成像方式和CA19-9等血液标志物在内的当前诊断方法缺乏检测早期疾病所需的敏感性。液体活检作为一种有前景的非侵入性诊断技术应运而生,它能够检测循环肿瘤特异性核酸,特别是循环肿瘤DNA(ctDNA)和微小RNA(miRNA)。然而,这些生物标志物的实际应用受到其在疾病早期阶段浓度低、分子易降解以及当前检测方法要求苛刻的限制。4D打印技术的出现——这是增材制造领域利用刺激响应材料的变革性进展——为生物医学传感带来了新机遇。这些响应式微器件能够发生时空变化,从而实现对分子靶点的精确、时间调控捕获。本综述全面分析了为检测ctDNA和miRNA而设计的4D打印微纳器件,重点关注它们在胰腺癌诊断中的潜在应用。我们研究了材料选择、驱动策略、流体动力学、器件结构和新兴原型。此外,本综述还考虑了临床转化挑战,包括监管途径以及融入个性化医疗框架。与传统的聚合酶链反应(PCR)和下一代测序(NGS)技术相比——尽管它们具有高灵敏度,但往往因样本制备繁琐、处理时间长以及在胰腺癌早期识别低丰度生物标志物时效率降低而受到阻碍——4D打印生物传感器提供了一种动态、刺激响应方法,能够实现对ctDNA和miRNA的更快、更具选择性且可能实现即时检测。通过将智能材料的响应性与精确的分子捕获机制和紧凑的器件结构相结合,这些平台有望解决限制传统分子诊断方法应用的灵敏度和稳定性挑战。总体而言,4D打印生物传感器是推进胰腺癌早期检测和实时监测的一个有前景的前沿领域。
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