posted on 2021-03-22, 18:03authored byYingdi Zhu, Andreas Lesch, Xiaoyun Li, Tzu-En Lin, Natalia Gasilova, Milica Jović, Horst Matthias Pick, Ping-Chih Ho, Hubert H. Girault
Skin problems are
often overlooked due to a lack of robust and
patient-friendly monitoring tools. Herein, we report a rapid, noninvasive,
and high-throughput analytical chemical methodology, aiming at real-time
monitoring of skin conditions and early detection of skin disorders.
Within this methodology, adhesive sampling and laser desorption ionization
mass spectrometry are coordinated to record skin surface molecular
mass in minutes. Automated result interpretation is achieved by data
learning, using similarity scoring and machine learning algorithms.
Feasibility of the methodology has been demonstrated after testing
a total of 117 healthy, benign-disordered, or malignant-disordered
skins. Remarkably, skin malignancy, using melanoma as a proof of concept,
was detected with 100% accuracy already at early stages when the lesions
were submillimeter-sized, far beyond the detection limit of most existing
noninvasive diagnosis tools. Moreover, the malignancy development
over time has also been monitored successfully, showing the potential
to predict skin disorder progression. Capable of detecting skin alterations
at the molecular level in a nonsurgical and time-saving manner, this
analytical chemistry platform is promising to build personalized skin
care.