Futurity · Health

Painless microneedle patch could detect kidney disease earlier

Researchers have developed a minimally invasive microneedle patch that can detect early signs of kidney disease by capturing and quantifying biomarkers in the skin. This innovation aims to overcome the silent progression of kidney disease, which often goes unnoticed until it is advanced.

The patch, developed in the lab of Professor Srikanth Singamaneni, is applied to the skin to safely collect and accurately measure biomarkers. It has shown early success in detecting signs of kidney injury and could potentially support home or point-of-care monitoring without needing refrigeration.

Published in Advanced Materials, the study is the first to demonstrate that biomolecules encapsulated on microneedles can retain their biological functions. The research team, including doctoral student Yixuan Wang, created microneedles coated with a metal-organic framework (MOF). This coating samples interstitial fluid and preserves neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) antibodies, an early indicator of acute kidney injury. The MOF shell maintained the antibodies' function for up to four weeks at 50°C (122°F) without refrigeration.

Singamaneni stated that this MOF encapsulation is an effective method for creating resilient microneedle sensors, offering a scalable approach for minimally invasive biosensing in remote or home health monitoring.

NGAL levels rise within hours of kidney injury and are a validated biomarker for kidney damage. However, its use has been limited in home or resource-limited settings due to the need for blood draws and cold-chain logistics.

This new technology builds upon previous work by Singamaneni and collaborators on microneedle patches for disease biomarkers, adapting the low-cost, easy-to-use technology to achieve high sensitivity, a broader detection range, and to address cold-chain challenges.

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