Point-of-care technologies for molecular diagnostics using a drop of blood

• We discuss the frontiers of POC diagnostic technologies using a drop of blood obtained from a finger prick.
• A great challenge is still required to develop simple, inexpensive, rapid, and easy-to-use technologies for blood molecular diagnostics.
• Proteins, nucleic acids, and other molecules, as well as downstream molecular analyses based on cancer cells isolated from the blood are surveyed for molecular diagnostics in a drop of blood.
• Various technologies, including emerging biotechnologies, nanotechnologies, and microfluidics, hold the potential for rapid, accurate, and nonexpensive disease diagnostics.

Molecular diagnostics is crucial for prevention, identification, and treatment of disease. Traditional technologies for molecular diagnostics using blood are limited to laboratory use because they rely on sample purification and sophisticated instruments, are labor and time intensive, expensive, and require highly trained operators. This review discusses the frontiers of point-of-care (POC) diagnostic technologies using a drop of blood obtained from a finger prick. These technologies, including emerging biotechnologies, nanotechnologies, and microfluidics, hold the potential for rapid, accurate, and inexpensive disease diagnostics.