Measuring disease status in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients generally requires invasive blood draws or procedures, but a novel wearable device shows initial promise at providing similar information from perspiration.
The device, in development by EnLiSense, can rapidly detect calprotectin, C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin-6 (IL-6), using miniaturized versions of biochemical lab tests.
Patient monitoring relies on identifying trends, whether biomarker levels are increasing or decreasing, according to Shalini Prasad, PhD, who presented the study during a poster session at the annual Crohn’s & Colitis Congress®, a partnership of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and the American Gastroenterological Association. “In a blood test you don’t get that unless you’re willing to sample every month. That’s the benefit [of the device],” said Dr. Prasad, professor of bioengineering at University of Texas at Dallas and a cofounder of EnLiSense.