Microneedle sensor for real-time monitoring of inflammatory cytokine signature

Abstract

Monitoring of inflammatory levels provides crucial evaluation of pathology, facilitating the diagnosis of inflammatory diseases such as infection, allergy, and severe conditions like cytokine storms. Traditionally, the detection of cytokines and other inflammatory proteins requires blood sampling, a procedure that demands skilled personnel, poses infection risks, and can reduce patient compliance. Their low concentration, rapid degradation and complexity of sample preparation lead to false negatives and compromised detection sensitivity. In this study, we introduce a multi-target microneedle sensor capable of blood-free detection of multiple cytokines such as IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α and C-reactive protein (CRP), offering a relatively comprehensive judgement of the inflammatory cytokine signature. The detection performance was assessed both in vitro and in vivo, with results visually observable at a semi-quantitative level within 30 minutes. This portable and minimally invasive sensor harnesses real-time, at-home monitoring of inflammatory status.