Utilization of Microfluidic Droplet-Based Methods in Diagnosis and Treatment Methods of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Review

Sep 21, 2026

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains among the most prevalent cancers worldwide and is characterized by substantial morbidity and mortality, largely driven by late clinical presentation. Conventional biopsy and serological markers such as AFP show limited clinical utility, while the disease’s pathogenesis reflects chronic liver injury and diverse genetic alterations. This review evaluates microfluidic droplet-based approaches that support comprehensive single-cell genome and transcriptome analysis, enabling investigation of cellular heterogeneity and evolutionary relationships for improved diagnosis and treatment.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Microfluidic droplet-based methods in HCC

Single-cell sequencing approaches

Advantages and limitations

Conclusion

Review Utilization of Microfluidic Droplet-Based Methods in Diagnosis and Treatment Methods of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Review Akvil Zajanckauskaite 1,*, Miah Lingelbach 2, Dovil Juozapait 3, Algirdas Utkus 1, Greta Rukšnaityt 4, GodaJonuškien 5 and Aist Gulla 6,7, * Citation: Zajanckauskaite, A.; Lingelbach, M.; Juozapaite˙ , D.; Utkus, A.; Rukšnaityte˙ , G.; Jonuškiene˙ , G.; Gulla, A. Utilization of Microfluidic Droplet-Based Methods in Diagnosis and Treatment Methods of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Review. Genes 2024, 15, 1242. [https://doi.org/](https://doi.org/)[ ](https://doi.org/)[10.3390/genes15101242](10.3390/genes15101242) Academic Editors: Shun-Fa Yang and Shih-Chi Su Received: 16 April 2024 Revised: 20 August 2024 Accepted: 13 September 2024 Published: 25 September 2024 Copyright: © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[ ](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[4.0/](4.0/)) . 1 Department of Human and Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, 01513 Vilnius, Lithuania 2 School of Osteopathic Medicine, A.T. Still University, Mesa, AZ 85206, USA; [miah.lingelbach@atsu.edu](miah.lingelbach@atsu.edu) 3 Vilnius Santaros Klinikos Biobank, Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos, 08661 Vilnius, Lithuania 4 Droplet Genomics, 10223 Vilnius, Lithuania 5 Clinic of Hematology and Oncology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, 01513 Vilnius, Lithuania 6 Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, 01513 Vilnius, Lithuania 7 Department of Surgery, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA * Correspondence: [akvile.zajanckauskaite@gmail.com](akvile.zajanckauskaite@gmail.com) (A.Z.); [aiste.kielaite-gulla@mf.vu.lt](aiste.kielaite-gulla@mf.vu.lt) (A.G.) Abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. One of the main challenges in the management of HCC is late clinical presentation and thus diagnosis of the disease, which results in poor survival. The pathogenesis of HCC is complex and involves chronic liver injury and genetic alterations. Diagnosis of HCC can be made either by biopsy or imaging; however, conventional tissue-based biopsy methods and serological biomarkers such as AFP have limited clinical applications. While hepatocellular carcinoma is associated with a range of molecular alterations, including the activation of oncogenic signaling pathways, such as Wnt-TGFβ, PI3K-AKT-mTOR, RAS-MAPK, MET, IGF, and Wnt-β-catenin and TP53 and TERT promoter mutations, microfluidic applications have been limited. Early diagnosis is crucial for advancing treatments that would address the heterogeneity of HCC. In this context, microfluidic droplet-based methods are crucial, as they enable comprehensive analysis of the genome and transcriptome of individual cells. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) allows the examination of individual cell transcriptomes, identifying their heterogeneity and cellular evolutionary relationships. Other microfluidic methods, such as Drop-seq, InDrop, and ATACseq, are also employed for single-cell analysis. Here, we examine and compare these microfluidic droplet-based methods, exploring their advantages and limitations in liver cancer research. These technologies provide new opportunities to understand liver cancer biology, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis, contributing to scientific efforts in combating this challenging disease. Keywords: single-cell analysis; hepatocellular carcinoma; heterogeneity cancer liver sequencing 1. Introduction Liver cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer [1] . Recent studies show that liver cancer is one

FAQs

Why is early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma critical?

HCC often presents without symptoms early, so timely detection and diagnosis are essential for improving survival and enabling effective intervention before progression.

What limitations affect conventional diagnosis methods for HCC?

Tissue-based biopsy and serological biomarkers such as AFP have limited clinical applications, partly because they cannot fully capture the molecular complexity of HCC.

How do microfluidic droplet-based methods contribute to HCC research and care?

Microfluidic droplet-based technologies enable comprehensive analysis of single-cell genome and transcriptome data, supporting investigation of heterogeneity and cellular evolutionary relationships that inform diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.

Sep 21, 2026

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