Development of hydrogel-forming microneedle array patches for transdermal protein biomarker sampling

Initial investigations explored diacids as crosslinking agents in PVA-PVP hydrogels, identifying an optimal formulation with oxalic acid as the crosslinker. This formulation exhibited a high gel fraction, good mechanical properties, and suitable insertion capability. Subsequent research included physico chemical characterization and the addition of chitosan to enhance protein interaction properties.

The fabricated HFMAPs demonstrated good mechanical properties and biomarker sampling ability, with in vitro and in vivo studies confirming biocompatibility and the capacity to collect detectable protein biomarkers, including those related to coronavirus infections. Despite valuable insights, further studies are needed to establish quantitative applicability and refine the extraction process. Future work will focus on disease models to strengthen diagnostic claims and address regulatory and patient acceptability for clinical translation, which is crucial for pandemic preparedness. <br><br>