Microfluidic chip and its application in autophagy detection

Microfluidic chip (MC) has helped more researchers to perform labs on a chip, with the advantages of precise control, lower sample requirement and reagent consumption, economic efficiency and high throughput screening. Its combination with other technologies, such as biosensor technology, mass spectrometry, and automated imaging systems, has emerged as a novel platform for model construction of multidimensional cells and organs, identification of multiple disease markers, and screening of drugs and metabolites. Specifically, the MC is increasingly employed to detect autophagy–associated markers in vitro. This review summarizes the development history of major technological innovations of MC, application fields, conventional methods and shortcomings for autophagy detection, as well as the application of MC in autophagy detection. Finally, we discuss the current technical challenges, and possible innovations in the diagnosis of autophagy–related diseases in the future.