Nanochannel-driven rapid capture of sub-nanogram level biomarkers for painless preeclampsia diagnosis

Turbulence-enhanced microneedle immunoassay platform (TMIP) for high-precision biomarker detection from skin interstitial fluid

Conventional diagnostic methods for biomarker detection often require invasive procedures and exhibit limited reproducibility and sensitivity. In this study, the turbulence-enhanced microneedle immunoassay platform (TMIP) was designed to enhance the performance and accuracy of biomarker detection in skin interstitial fluid (ISF). TMIP combines a bullet-shaped microneedle (MN) array for minimally invasive biomarker capture, a microfluidic device for MN-mediated immunoassay process simplification, and a star-shaped magnetic stirrer tool (MST) to facilitate efficient washing. By targeting S100 calcium-binding protein B (S100B), a diagnostic biomarker for melanoma, TMIP demonstrated substantial improvements in reproducibility, reducing signal deviations by up to 55 % compared to manual operation. The application of nanoporous MNs (NPMNs) achieved a low detection limit of 20 pg/mL with a high linearity (R2 = 0.9758). Validation using a gelatin phantom mimicking human skin confirmed TMIP's ability to achieve improved reproducibility and sensitivity. Furthermore, TMIP successfully detected S100B with high reproducibility in both the phantom (R2 = 0.97523) and melanoma-expressing mice within a rapid incubation time of 1 min. TMIP enables the detection of biomarkers with remarkable reproducibility and sub-nanogram sensitivity by simplifying the analysis process and enhancing reagent washing through turbulence. These features suggest that TMIP has the potential to serve as an efficient and reliable tool for biomarker detection in skin ISF.

Harnessing innovation in microneedle technology for Women's healthcare

Women's health management plays a crucial role in modern healthcare, encompassing the prevention, detection, and treatment of female diseases. However, existing technologies often face challenges, such as the invasiveness and discomfort associated with serological testing and injection-based therapies. Microneedles, as an emerging technology in biomedical engineering, demonstrate significant advantages. These micron-sized transdermal devices are applicable in a range of applications, from drug delivery to interstitial fluid sampling, and their painless, minimally invasive nature significantly enhances medication compliance. In recent years, microneedles have been widely utilized in women's health management, showing promising results in early disease prevention and subsequent treatment. Although there are reviews about microneedles applied in disease treatment management, few of them focus on the application of microneedles in the prevention and early detection of women's disease. Herein, we present a comprehensive overview of the current application status of microneedles in women's health management, with a special emphasis on their design and mechanism for disease prevention, and treatment in women. Finally, we discuss the advantages and limitations of microneedles in women's health management, and propose suggestions for future research direction.

Construction of Biomimetic Nanochannel, Property Regulation, and Biomarker Detection

The significance of biomimetic nanochannel in the field of biosensors is gaining increasing recognition. The controllable construction of biomimetic nanochannels and their performance modulation have demonstrated great importance and obtained wide interest. The nanochannels offer high sensitivity, enabling sensors to swiftly identify target biomarkers in complex biological samples, with detection limits reaching the picomolar level. Furthermore, they demonstrate exceptional selectivity and reproducibility, making them ideal tools for biomarker detection. In recent years, biosensors utilizing biomimetic nanochannel have shown remarkable performance in detecting a wide range of biomarkers. This review aims to explore the opportunities and challenges associated with biomimetic nanochannel technology in biosensor applications, focusing on the construction and performance modulation of these nanochannels, as well as their applications in detecting nucleic acids, proteins, organisms, and small molecules. Providing forward-looking insights into this cutting-edge field is aspired, with particular emphasis on technological advancements, addressing current challenges, and discussing future trends.

Sensing Platform Based on Gold Nanoclusters and Nanoporous Anodic Alumina for Preeclampsia Detection

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific hypertensive syndrome recognized as the leading cause of maternal and fetal morbidity worldwide. Early diagnosis is crucial for mitigating its adverse effects, and recent investigations have identified endoglin as a potential biomarker for this purpose. Here, we present the development of a hybrid biosensor platform for the ultrasensitive detection of endoglin, aimed at enabling the early diagnosis of preeclampsia. This platform integrates the high surface area properties of nanoporous anodic alumina (NAA) with the unique optical characteristics of gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) to achieve enhanced detection capabilities. The NAA surface functionalized to promote attachment of AuNCs, which then was functionalized with specific antibodies to confer selectivity towards endoglin. Photoluminescence (PL) analysis of the biosensor demonstrated a linear detection range of 10-50 ng/mL, with a detection limit of 5.4 ng/mL and a sensitivity of 0.004 a.u./(ng/mL). This proof-of-concept study suggests that the NAA-AuNCs-based biosensing platform holds significant potential for the development of ultrasensitive, portable, and cost-effective diagnostic tools for preeclampsia, offering a promising avenue for advancing prenatal care.

Microneedle sensors for dermal interstitial fluid analysis

The rapid advancement in personalized healthcare has driven the development of wearable biomedical devices for real-time biomarker monitoring and diagnosis. Traditional invasive blood-based diagnostics are painful and limited to sporadic health snapshots. To address these limitations, microneedle-based sensing platforms have emerged, utilizing interstitial fluid (ISF) as an alternative biofluid for continuous health monitoring in a minimally invasive and painless manner. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of microneedle sensor technology, covering microneedle design, fabrication methods, and sensing strategy. Additionally, it explores the integration of monitoring electronics for continuous on-body monitoring. Representative applications of microneedle sensing platforms for both monitoring and therapeutic purposes are introduced, highlighting their potential to revolutionize personalized healthcare. Finally, the review discusses the remaining challenges and future prospects of microneedle technology.

Graphical Abstract

Microneedle Sensors for Point-of-Care Diagnostics

Point-of-care (POC) has the capacity to support low-cost, accurate and real-time actionable diagnostic data. Microneedle sensors have received considerable attention as an emerging technique to evolve blood-based diagnostics owing to their direct and painless access to a rich source of biomarkers from interstitial fluid. This review systematically summarizes the recent innovations in microneedle sensors with a particular focus on their utility in POC diagnostics and personalized medicine. The integration of various sensing techniques, mostly electrochemical and optical sensing, has been established in diverse architectures of "lab-on-a-microneedle" platforms. Microneedle sensors with tailored geometries, mechanical flexibility, and biocompatibility are constructed with a variety of materials and fabrication methods. Microneedles categorized into four types: metals, inorganics, polymers, and hydrogels, have been elaborated with state-of-the-art bioengineering strategies for minimally invasive, continuous, and multiplexed sensing. Microneedle sensors have been employed to detect a wide range of biomarkers from electrolytes, metabolites, polysaccharides, nucleic acids, proteins to drugs. Insightful perspectives are outlined from biofluid, microneedles, biosensors, POC devices, and theragnostic instruments, which depict a bright future of the upcoming personalized and intelligent health management.

Clinical Application of a Graphene Oxide-Based Surface Plasmon Resonance Biosensor to Measure First-Trimester Serum Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A/A2 Ratio to Predict Preeclampsia

Background

Preeclampsia, a major cause of adverse pregnancy outcomes, involves metalloproteinases pregnancy-associated plasma protein (PAPP)-A and PAPP-A2 from placental trophoblasts. The graphene oxide (GO)-based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor has higher sensitivity, affinity, and selective ability than the traditional SPR biosensor. The aim of this study was to explore the feasibility of measuring first-trimester serum PAPP-A/PAPP-A2 ratio as a novel predictor of preeclampsia using the GO-SPR biosensor.

Methods

This prospective case-control study of pregnant women was conducted at MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan between January 2018 and June 2020. The SPR angle shifts of first-trimester serum PAPP-A, PAPP-A2, and PAPP-A/PAPP-A2 ratio measured using the GO-SPR biosensor were compared between preeclampsia and control groups.

Results

Serum samples from 185 pregnant women were collected, of whom 30 had preeclampsia (5 early-onset; 25 late-onset). The response time between the antibody-antigen association and dissociation only took about 200 seconds. The SPR angle shift of PAPP-A in the preeclampsia group was significantly smaller than that in the control group (median (interquartile range): 5.33 (4.55) versus 6.89 (4.10) millidegrees (mDeg), P = 0.008). Conversely, the SPR angle shift of PAPP-A2 in the preeclampsia group was significantly larger than that in the control group (5.70 (3.81) versus 3.63 (2.38) mDeg, P < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed a cut-off PAPP-A/PAPP-A2 ratio to predict all preeclampsia of ≤ 0.76, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.79 (95% CI 0.73-0.85, P < 0.001). Sub-group analysis revealed a cut-off PAPP-A/PAPP-A2 ratio to predict early-onset preeclampsia of ≤ 0.53 (AUC 0.99, 95% CI 0.96-1.00, P < 0.001), and ≤ 0.73 to predict late-onset preeclampsia (AUC 0.75, 95% CI 0.68-0.81, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Measuring first-trimester serum PAPP-A/PAPP-A2 ratio using the GO-SPR biosensor could be a valuable method for early prediction of preeclampsia.

The levels of peripheral blood TNF-α, Decorin and neutrophils MAPK1 mRNA levels of patients with preeclampsia and their clinical significance

Objective: This study analyzed the levels of peripheral blood tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), Decorin (DCN) and Mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1) mRNA in neutrophils of patients with preeclampsia and their correlations, in order to provide more thoughts on the diagnosis and treatment of clinical patients. Methods: 81 patients with preeclampsia who had regular prenatal checkups and delivered in our hospital from June 2020 to April 2022 were analyzed, including 26 patients with early-onset and 55 patients with late-onset, and 50 pregnant women with normal pregnancy who had prenatal checkups and delivered in our hospital during the same period were selected as the control group. Record the clinical data of patients, record the expression of peripheral blood TNF-α, DCN and neutrophils MAPK1 mRNA of patients with early-onset, late-onset and the control group, and record the correlation between DCN level, MAPK1 mRNA expression and TNF-α level of patients with preeclampsia. Results: The diastolic and systolic blood pressures were significantly higher in early-onset and late-onset patients, and the gestational week of delivery was significantly lower in early-onset and late-onset patients, respectively (p < .05); there was no statistically significant difference in the average age, BMI, average pregnancy time, and average births between the three groups (p > .05). The expressions of peripheral blood TNF-α, DCN, and neutrophils MAPK1 mRNA of the early-onset and late-onset groups were all higher than those in the control group (p < .05); and the expressions of TNF-α, DCN, and MAPK1 mRNA in the peripheral blood of the early-onset group were all higher than those in the late-onset group (p < .05); Pearson correlation analysis showed that DCN level and TNF-α level in patients with preeclampsia were positively correlated (r = 0.98639, p < .05); Neutrophils MAPK1 mRNA expression and TNF-α level were positively correlated (r = 0.9611, p < .05). Conclusion: TNF-α, DCN and neutrophils MAPK1 mRNA were all highly expressed in the peripheral blood of patients with pre-eclampsia and were more significantly elevated in patients with early-onset preeclampsia, and the expression levels of DCN and MAPK1 mRNA were positively correlated with TNF-α levels. It is possible that all three factors are involved in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia, and are expected to be used as indicators for early prediction and diagnosis.

Epidermal Wearable Biosensors for the Continuous Monitoring of Biomarkers of Chronic Disease in Interstitial Fluid

Healthcare technology has allowed individuals to monitor and track various physiological and biological parameters. With the growing trend of the use of the internet of things and big data, wearable biosensors have shown great potential in gaining access to the human body, and providing additional functionality to analyze physiological and biochemical information, which has led to a better personalized and more efficient healthcare. In this review, we summarize the biomarkers in interstitial fluid, introduce and explain the extraction methods for interstitial fluid, and discuss the application of epidermal wearable biosensors for the continuous monitoring of markers in clinical biology. In addition, the current needs, development prospects and challenges are briefly discussed.

Microneedle-based transdermal detection and sensing devices

Microneedles have been expected for the construction of next-generation biosensors towards personalization, digitization, and intellectualization due to their metrics of minimal invasiveness, high integration, and favorable biocompatibility. Herein, an overview of state-of-the-art microneedle-based detection and sensing systems is presented. First, the designs of microneedle devices based on extraction mechanisms are concluded, corresponding to different geometries and materials of microneedles. Second, the targets of equipment-assisted microneedle detections are summarized, as well as the objective significance, revealing the current performance and potential scenarios of these microneedles. Third, the trend towards highly integrated sensors is elaborated by emphasizing the sensing principles (colorimetric, fluorometric and electronic manner). Finally, the key challenges to be tackled and the perspectives on future development are discussed.

Recent Progress in Microneedles-Mediated Diagnosis, Therapy, and Theranostic Systems

Theranostic system combined diagnostic and therapeutic modalities is critical for the real-time monitoring of disease-related biomarkers and personalized therapy. Microneedles, as a multifunctional platform, are promising for transdermal diagnostics and drug delivery. They have shown attractive properties including painless skin penetration, easy self-administration, prominent therapeutic effects, and good biosafety. Herein, an overview of the microneedles-based diagnosis, therapies, and theranostic systems is given. Four microneedles-based detection methods are concluded based on the sensing mechanism: i) electrochemistry, ii) fluorometric, iii) colorimetric, and iv) Raman methods. Additionally, robust microneedles are suitable for implantable drug delivery. Microneedles-assisted transdermal drug delivery can be primarily classified as passive, active, and responsive drug release, based on the release mechanisms. Microneedles-assisted oral and implantable drug delivery mechanisms are also presented in this review. Furthermore, the key frontier developments in microneedles-mediated theranostic systems as the major selling points are emphasized in this review. These systems are classified into open-loop and closed-loop theranostic systems based on the indirectness and directness of feedback between the transdermal diagnosis and therapy, respectively. Finally, conclusions and future perspectives for next-generation microneedles-mediated theranostic systems are also discussed. Taken together, microneedle-based systems are promising as the new avenue for diagnosis, therapy, and disease-specific closed-loop theranostic applications.

Microneedle-Based Device for Biological Analysis

The collection and analysis of biological samples are an effective means of disease diagnosis and treatment. Blood sampling is a traditional approach in biological analysis. However, the blood sampling approach inevitably relies on invasive techniques and is usually performed by a professional. The microneedle (MN)-based devices have gained increasing attention due to their noninvasive manner compared to the traditional blood-based analysis method. In the present review, we introduce the materials for fabrication of MNs. We categorize MN-based devices based on four classes: MNs for transdermal sampling, biomarker capture, detecting or monitoring analytes, and bio-signal recording. Their design strategies and corresponding application are highlighted and discussed in detail. Finally, future perspectives of MN-based devices are discussed.

The relationship between polymorphisms of microRNA and preeclampsia: A protocol for meta-analysis and bioinformatics prediction

BACKGROUND

Preeclampsia has genetic correlation. Many studies have shown that microRNA (miRNA) polymorphism is highly associated with preeclampsia, but the results are inconsistent. The purpose of this study is to systematically evaluate the relationship between miRNA polymorphism and preeclampsia.

METHODS

In this study, the search time is set from the establishment of the database on January 2021. The search database include China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, VIP and China Biology Medicine disc (CBM), PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. The subjects are case-control studies on the relationship between miRNA polymorphism and preeclampsia. The language is limited to English and Chinese. The data of the included study are extracted and the literature quality is evaluated by 2 researchers independently. The data are statistically analyzed through Stata 16.0 software. We also predicted the miRNA secondary structure and the binding sites of miRNA interaction with its target genes.

RESULTS

This review will be disseminated in print by peer-review.

CONCLUSION

This study will provide evidence-based medicine to elucidate the genetic tendency of preeclampsia.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Private information from individuals will not be published. This systematic review also does not involve endangering participant rights. Ethical approval will not be required. The results may be published in a peer-reviewed journal or disseminated at relevant conferences.

OSF REGISTRATION NUMBER

DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/MJY2X.

Microneedle arrays for the treatment of chronic wounds

INTRODUCTION

Chronic wounds are seen frequently in diabetic and bedbound patients. Such skin injuries, which do not heal in a timely fashion, can lead to life-threatening conditions. In an effort to resolve the burdens of chronic wounds, numerous investigations have explored the efficacy of various therapeutics on wound healing. Therapeutics can be topically delivered to cutaneous wounds to reduce the complications associated with systemic drug delivery because the compromised skin barrier is not expected to negatively affect drug distribution. However, researchers have recently demonstrated that the complex environment of chronic wounds could lower the localized availability of the applied therapeutics. Microneedle arrays (MNAs) can be exploited to enhance delivery efficiency and consequently improved healing.

AREAS COVERED

In this review, we briefly describe the pathophysiology of chronic wounds and current treatment strategies. We further introduce methods and materials commonly used for the fabrication of MNAs. Subsequently, the studies demonstrating the benefits of MNAs in wound care are highlighted.

EXPERT OPINION

Microneedles have great potential to treat the complicated pathophysiology of chronic wounds. Challenges that will need to be addressed include development of a robust chronic wound model and MNAs that combine complex functionality with simplicity of use.

Application of smartphone-based spectroscopy to biosample analysis: A review

The emergence of the smartphones has brought extensive changes to our lifestyles, from communicating with one another, to shopping and enjoyment of entertainment, and from studying to functioning at the workplace (and in the field). At the same time, this portable device has also provided new possibilities in scientific research and applications. Based on the growing awareness of good health management, researchers have coupled health monitoring to smartphone sensing technologies. Along the way, there have been developed a variety of smartphone-based optical detection platforms for analyzing biological samples, including standalone smartphone units and integrated smartphone sensing systems. In this review, we outline the applications of smartphone-based optical sensors for biosamples. These applications focus mainly on three aspects: Microscopic imaging sensing, colorimetric sensing and luminescence sensing. We also discuss briefly some limitations of the current state of smartphone-based spectroscopy and present prospects of the future applicability of smartphone sensors.