2023.08.18 Microneedles and Biomarkers

Microneedles and biomarker_Illustration: A new study demonstrates how biomarker molecules can be sampled from melanoma lesions using microneedles, and measured with ultra-sensitive, single-molecule Simoa assays. This approach was used to assess the immunological responses in tumor lesions of mice to a novel innovative and also locally applied immunotherapy. In the future, this biomarker monitoring strategy could help stratify patients and maximize therapeutic benefits to immunotherapies. Credit: Wiley Editing Services Microneedles and biomarker_Figure: The team engineered a strategy for monitoring the immunological responses to a newly devised, locally applied immunotherapy against melanoma. The therapy acts locally on tumor lesions by combining non-invasive focused ultrasound (FUS) with the delivery of a previously developed nanoparticle-bound activator of an inflammation-inducing protein known as stimulator of interferon genes (STING). To monitor biomarkers informing about the responsiveness of immune cells to the therapy, first, interstitial skin fluid is sampled with microneedles from the lesions, and then biomarkers contained in it quantified with ultra-sensitive Simoa assays. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University Microneedles and biomarker_Composite Image: The microneedles developed by Natalie Artzi’s group are minimally invasive instruments made of hyaluronic acid that in principle can be used to simultaneously deliver drugs and detect biomarkers. The left microscopic image shows a magnified microneedle, and the right image a microneedle filled with a fluorescent dye. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University