Development of Microneedle Platforms for High-Accuracy Diagnosis of Latent Tuberculosis Infection

摘要

According to the World Health Organization, one-third of the world population are currently infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) and most of these infections are in latent stage. This large population of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), which is equal to two billion people worldwide, constitutes a major source of infection and onward transmission. While current standard diagnostic tests of LTBI have several limitations. Our proposed skin test in a bandage format, utilizing microneedle technology, could potentially improve diagnostic accuracy by reducing intradermal injection error and offering facile result measurement as well as interpretation. This diagnostic test could have a significant positive impact on the control of LTBI. In this study we developed microneedle platforms suitable for LTBI diagnosis application. The study included designing microneedle arrangement within a microneedle array, testing its properties, producing the microneedle array, and optimizing microneedle-coating methods.