Microneedle Array Based Optical Biosensors for Minimally-Invasive Skin Cancer Diagnostics

该研究项目的总体目标是开发一种微创生物传感设备，作为皮肤黑色素瘤的即时诊断和纵向监测工具。更具体地说，目标是建立一个微针平台，该平台将与光学生物传感方法相结合，实现对间质液（ISF）中目标生物标志物的体内采样和针上定量。所建议的平台的基础依赖于微针的功能化，微针具有合适的生物识别元件，可以穿透上层皮肤层，贴在皮肤上，选择性地捕获ISF中的生物标志物，然后进行原位分析。生物标记物的鉴定导致受体和分析物之间的特异性结合，因此通过执行适当的荧光免疫测定来分析。最后，采用离体测定法可定量测定间质液中生物标志物的浓度，并与诊断结论相关。所建议的工具的发展将使临床医生能够解决当前在诊断领域的挑战。所使用的材料和所进行的测定的特点是低成本，可用性，并且由于它们的小尺寸，紧凑性和便携性。此外，由于平台的微针不会到达皮肤的神经元，因此消除了患者的不便和伴随活检的副作用。此外，生物传感器提供快速诊断时间，加上高灵敏度和选择性。

The general objective of the research project is the development of a minimally invasive biosensing device that will serve as a point-of-care diagnostic and longitudinal monitoring tool for cutaneous melanoma. More specifically, the aim is to formulate a micro-needling platform that will enable in-vivo sampling and on-needle quantification of target biomarkers in interstitial fluid (ISF) coupled with an optical biosensing method. The fundamental of the suggested platform relies on the functionalization of microneedles with suitable biorecognition elements that can penetrate the upper skin layers, post on-skin attachment of the patch, and selectively capturing biomarkers in the ISF, followed by in situ analysis.The identification of biomarkers results in a specific binding between the receptor and analyte that is therefore analysed by performing a suitable fluorescent immunoassay. Finally, the employment of the assay ex-vivo results in the quantification of the concentration of biomarkers in the interstitial fluid and is correlated to a diagnosis verdict. The development of the suggested tool will enable clinicians to tackle the current challenges in the diagnostics field. The employed materials and performed assays are characterized by low cost, availability, and due to their small size, compactness, and portability. Also, since the microneedles of the platform do not reach the neurons of the skin, the patient inconvenience and side effects that accompany biopsy are eliminated. Furthermore, biosensors offer rapid diagnostic time coupled with high sensitivity and selectivity.