Microfluidics in Drug Development: Enhancing Screening Accuracy with Advanced Sensor Integration

Abstract

Microfluidic technologies have revolutionized biological and chemical analysis by enabling rapid, high-throughput screening in miniaturized formats. Microfluidic systems provide unparalleled control over small fluid volumes, facilitating the precise manipulation and analysis of samples. In drug development, microfluidics has emerged as a powerful tool to improve the accuracy and efficiency of compound screening. This review discusses the application of microfluidics for enhancing drug screening using advanced on-chip sensors. First, an overview of microfluidic advantages for drug screening is provided. Next, various microfluidic screening approaches are covered, including target-based assays, phenotypic assays, and microphysiological systems. A detailed discussion of advanced sensors for microfluidic platforms follows, focusing on optical, electrochemical, and mechanical biosensors. Key examples of integrated microfluidic sensors for drug toxicity analysis, pharmacokinetics, and high-throughput screening are highlighted. Finally, current challenges and future outlooks for microfluidic sensors in drug development are critically evaluated. Overall, microfluidic technologies enable drug screening with unparalleled sensitivity, automation, and analytical power. When combined with integrated sensors, microfluidics provides a formidable toolset to enhance the speed, cost, and biological relevance of the drug discovery pipeline.