Method for accurate diagnosis of a disease targeting biomarkers in liquid biopsy

A method for accurate diagnosis of a disease, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a sample solution comprising a target biomarker of said disease;
• (b) providing a porous material embedded with components of an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS), wherein said components form two phase solutions when an aqueous solution travels through said porous material so that one phase solution travels faster than the other phase solution;
• (c) allowing said porous material to wick said sample solution, wherein the target biomarker in the sample solution partitions into the faster moving phase solution and becomes concentrated at the front of the faster moving phase solution;
• (d) applying a washing buffer on the ATPS to wash off impurities from said porous material, wherein the target biomarker is retained in the porous material;
• (e) drying and storing said porous material containing the target biomarker;
• (f) eluting the target biomarker from the front of the faster moving phase solution by an elution buffer, resulting in a final solution containing the target biomarker;
• and
• (g) subjecting said final solution to a diagnostic assay for detection and quantification of said target biomarker;
• wherein the target biomarker is selected from the group consisting of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), Cancer Antigen (CA15-3), and cell-free DNA, and
• wherein said ATPS components are selected from polymers, salts and surfactants.