Abstract 3297: Deep reactive ion etched microneedle array for in-vivo melanoma cancer monitoring via cancer exosome isolation
Authors: Smith Scott M. , Kumari Abha , Reis Thiago , Kang Yoon-Tae , Nagrath Sunitha 
Published: April 2023

This study reports a deep-reactive-ion-etched microneedle device (ExoNeedle chip) coated with a hybrid hydrogel that can directly capture cancer-associated extracellular vesicles (EVs) in interstitial fluid (ISF) in a minimally invasive manner, as opposed to conventional liquid biopsy methods involving sample extraction and EV isolation in-vitro or tissue biopsies for melanoma. Tumor derived EVs give insight into a tumor’s mutational burden and provide both prognostic and diagnostic value as a liquid biopsy tool. Melanoma is an aggressive cancer with a lack of promising markers for early detection, onset of metastasis, and monitoring of recurrence. The ExoNeedle chip is intended to pierce through the epidermis and parts of the dermis to isolate melanoma secreted EVs from the ISF to alleviate these unmet needs.

The microneedle arrays were created through the Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) process and a subsequent wet etching step to sharpen the needles. A 4 inch silicon wafer spin coated with 3 microns of positive photoresist was lithographically patterned and etched by DRIE using the standard Bosch processes to expose arrays of cylindrical pillars. Next, the cylindrical features were sharpened using an isotropic wet etch consisting of a mixture of hydrofluoric and nitric acid. The microneedle arrays were made and cleaved into individual patches. Meanwhile, hybrid hydrogel solution was made from Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and alginate by dissolving each of them separately in water under heat, followed by mixing the solutions. After centrifuging and filtering the hydrogel, it was conjugated with Annexin V (Av) protein to give it affinity for cancerous exosomes. Lastly, this hydrogel complex was added onto the microneedle patches and gelated with the help of a humidifier that deposited Ca2+ ion vapor over the hydrogel.

The microneedles were first optimized and validated using melanoma cell line secreted EVs. Melanoma EVs were successfully isolated and quantified to evaluate the efficacy of the microneedle patches yielding above an 80% capture efficiency from purified serum samples. The microneedle patches were DiO stained, fluorescently imaged, visualized in a scanning electron microscope, and protein concentration was determined respectfully. Additionally, the functional hydrogel coatings on the microneedles are dissolved in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), subsequently unbinding EVs from Av due to EDTA-based Ca2+ chelation. The dissolved solution is then used for enumeration and quantification of EVs by nanoparticle tracking analysis. We are further validating these patches in skin mimicking models and patient derived xenograft models of melanoma.

The technology developed in this study for the isolation of melanoma EVs can broadly pave the way for minimally invasive point of care cancer diagnostics and tracking for melanoma patients.

Citation Format: Scott M. Smith, Abha Kumari, Thiago Reis, Yoon-Tae Kang, Sunitha Nagrath. Deep reactive ion etched microneedle array for in-vivo melanoma cancer monitoring via cancer exosome isolation [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 3297.