Methods to Collect Biomarkers from Microneedle Patches

Interstitial fluid collection via microneedle patches offers great potential for an efficient, noninvasive tool that could be used to take human samples across large populations with relative ease. HERCULES Year 1 pilot recipient, Mark Prausnitz, received funding to adapt microneedle patches originally developed for vaccine delivery to be used for the extraction of interstitial fluid. As part of the project, he developed a protocol for patch wearing and a procedure for compound collection from the patch backing.

Prausnitz recently published results from his pilot study in the journal Analytical Chemistry. “Collection of Analytes from Microneedle Patches” highlights the methods his group has successfully developed that demonstrate how the collected fluid can be successfully moved to microtubes and microplates which would allow for automated and high-throughput analysis techniques. This work demonstrates the utility of microneedle patches as a tool for screening, diagnosis and monitoring of biomarkers in both field and clinical settings.