液体活检包括对非固体生物样本的分离和分析，使我们能够找到癌症患者分子特征、预后评估和更好的治疗决策的新途径。尽管传统的肿瘤发展理论认为，癌细胞与肿瘤之间以及癌细胞与正常细胞之间存在非垂直的DNA传播。被称为水平基因转移（HGT）的现象有能力通过传播编码能增加癌细胞存活或转移优势分子的基因来放大肿瘤的进展。目前，常见的液体活检方法包括分析来自原发肿瘤及其转移部位的细胞外囊泡（EVs）和无肿瘤DNA（tfDNA），这些是癌细胞中已知的HGT介质。当前的技术和分子进展通过使用诸如微流控技术的新技术加速了对HGT材料的高通量和高灵敏分析。本综述深入探讨了微流控技术与癌症液体活检中横向基因转移（HGT）材料的研究的融合。微流控的整合提供了前所未有的优势，如高灵敏度、快速分析和分析罕见细胞群体的能力。这些特点在检测和表征循环肿瘤细胞（CTCs）、循环核酸和携带潜在HGT可能的遗传信息的EVs方面起到了关键作用。癌症中的HGT现象引发了关于其在推动基因组多样性和获得性药物耐药性方面作用的有趣问题。通过利用微流控平台，研究人员能够以更高的精度捕获和分析单个细胞或遗传材料，揭示癌细胞与周围基质细胞之间的遗传材料传播潜力。此外，微流控在单细胞测序中的应用使得对HGT事件相关的遗传变化的阐释成为可能，为肿瘤基因组进化提供了洞察。本综述还讨论了利用基于微流控技术研究HGT材料的挑战和机遇。总之，基于微流控技术显著推动了癌症液体活检领域的发展，实现了对HGT材料的敏感和准确检测。随着我们对HGT在肿瘤演化和治疗抗性中作用的理解不断发展，微流控与HGT研究的协同整合有望为癌症生物学提供有价值的洞察，对精准肿瘤学和治疗策略可能产生重要影响。 版权所有 © 2023 Elsevier Inc. 发表

Liquid biopsy includes the isolating and analysis of non-solid biological samples enables us to find new ways for molecular profiling, prognostic assessment, and better therapeutic decision-making in cancer patients. Despite the conventional theory of tumor development, a non-vertical transmission of DNA has been reported among cancer cells and between cancer and normal cells. The phenomenon referred to as horizontal gene transfer (HGT) has the ability to amplify the advancement of tumors by disseminating genes that encode molecules conferring benefits to the survival or metastasis of cancer cells. Currently, common liquid biopsy approaches include the analysis of extracellular vesicles (EVs) and tumor-free DNA (tfDNA) derived from primary tumors and their metastatic sites, which are well-known HGT mediators in cancer cells. Current technological and molecular advances expedited the high-throughput and high-sensitive HGT materials analyses by using new technologies, such as microfluidics in liquid biopsies. This review delves into the convergence of microfluidic-based technologies and the investigation of Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT) materials in cancer liquid biopsy. The integration of microfluidics offers unprecedented advantages such as high sensitivity, rapid analysis, and the ability to analyze rare cell populations. These attributes are instrumental in detecting and characterizing CTCs, circulating nucleic acids, and EVs, which are carriers of genetic cargo that could potentially undergo HGT. The phenomenon of HGT in cancer has raised intriguing questions about its role in driving genomic diversity and acquired drug resistance. By leveraging microfluidic platforms, researchers have been able to capture and analyze individual cells or genetic material with enhanced precision, shedding light on the potential transfer of genetic material between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells. Furthermore, the application of microfluidics in single-cell sequencing has enabled the elucidation of the genetic changes associated with HGT events, providing insights into the evolution of tumor genomes. This review also discusses the challenges and opportunities in studying HGT materials using microfluidic-based technologies. In conclusion, microfluidic-based technologies have significantly advanced the field of cancer liquid biopsy, enabling the sensitive and accurate detection of HGT materials. As the understanding of HGT's role in tumor evolution and therapy resistance continues to evolve, the synergistic integration of microfluidics and HGT research promises to provide valuable insights into cancer biology, with potential implications for precision oncology and therapeutic strategies.Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.