fig3

Figure 3. Schematic diagram illustrating capture methods for different liquid biopsy biomarkers. (A) Current CTC capture methods are no longer limited by the heterogeneity caused by EpCAM downregulation; (B) Recognition of target ctDNA, structural changes of the material, and signal output have been achieved within a hydrogel platform; (C) Using a size-encoded PEG hydrogel microbead system, extraction-free multiplex miRNA liquid biopsy analysis can be performed in authentic serum samples; (D) By integrating oil-sealed isolation with hydrogel microwells, single cells and their secreted EVPs can be independently isolated and confined during extended culture periods [Created in BioRender. Mao, X. (2026) https://BioRender.com/nok9rig]. CTC: Circulating tumor cell; EpCAM: epithelial cell adhesion molecule; ctDNA: circulating tumor DNA; PEG: poly(ethylene glycol); miRNA: microRNA; EVPs: extracellular vesicles and particles; EVs: extracellular vesicles.