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POINT-OF-CARE DIAGNOSTICS

Sensitive sensing of biomarkers in interstitial fluid

Nature Biomedical Engineering volume 5, pages 3–5 (2021)Cite this article

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A minimally invasive microneedle patch detects specific protein biomarkers in dermal interstitial fluid at high sensitivity via a needle-integrated immunoassay coupled with an ultrabright fluorescent label.

Point-of-care diagnostics relying on biomarkers in bodily fluids have gained interest for use in personalized medicine and as a technology that could increase access to healthcare1. Most such diagnostics involve the sampling of blood by venepuncture, which requires a healthcare professional and can cause pain and discomfort. Instead, capillary blood sampling can be done by individuals themselves, but at the expense of variable biomarker concentrations. Interstitial fluid (ISF) — the fluid surrounding bodily cells and tissues formed by transcapillary exchange during blood flow and transporting nutrients and waste products among cells, blood and lymphatic capillaries — is also a rich source of biomarkers. In fact, the metabolomic and proteomic profiles of ISF and blood are similar and can be used for the monitoring of systemic biomarkers. ISF also contains biomarkers not found in blood plasma that are associated with cellular metabolic processes and that provide local information about cellular and tissue physiology2,3,4. Moreover, because ISF does not clot, it can be advantageous for continuous monitoring.

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Fig. 1: Microneedle patch for the detection of biomarkers in ISF.
Fig. 2: Strategies for the sampling of biomarkers in ISF.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Youngeun Kim & Mark R. Prausnitz

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  1. Youngeun Kim
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  2. Mark R. Prausnitz
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Correspondence to Mark R. Prausnitz.

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Competing interests

M.R.P. is an inventor of patents licensed to companies developing microneedle-based products, a paid advisor to companies developing microneedle-based products, and a founder or shareholder of companies developing microneedle-based products (Micron Biomedical). These potential competing interests have been disclosed and are managed by Georgia Tech.

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Kim, Y., Prausnitz, M.R. Sensitive sensing of biomarkers in interstitial fluid. Nat Biomed Eng 5, 3–5 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41551-020-00679-5

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