Painless Skin Patch Could Revolutionize How You Track Your Health

Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) collaborated with another lab to develop a microneedle patch that can sample the body’s immune response.

This bandage-like patch can help healthcare providers see how their patients respond to vaccines, infections, and cancer therapies, by complementing traditional blood tests and biopsies.

This study was published in the National Biomedical Engineering.

Easier Tracking of Immune Health

“Traditionally, studying some of the most important immune cells in the body requires a skin biopsy or blood draws. Because many of these cells live and respond in tissues like the skin, accessing them has meant invasive procedures,” said Sasan Jalili, a biomedical engineer and immunologist at The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) in a news release. “We’ve shown we can capture them painlessly and noninvasively instead. This is especially important in sensitive or visible areas like the face or neck, where people often don’t want biopsies because of scarring.”

How the Patch Works

The patch harnesses memory T cells, which protect you when you get reinfected with a pathogen you were previously infected with. They live on the skin and other "barrier" tissues that release signals to attract additional immune cells from the bloodstream.

By triggering this natural process, the researchers are assessing immune responses to treatments and responsiveness to specific diseases and conditions.