Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Peripheral Neuropathy
PI: Townsend, Kristy
Abstract: We propose the creation and commercialization of a transdermal, microelectrode array for measuring nerve conduction of free nerve endings in the skin during the progression to diabetic neuropathy, in order to provide earlier and non-invasive detection and diagnosis; as well creation of an accompanying microneedle device for subdermal drug delivery using microfluidics, in order to provide therapeutic treatments to halt and reverse the neuropathy. Currently, peripheral neuropathy, or the dying-back of nerves in the skin and distal extremities, is a devastating condition affecting around 50% of diabetics, those treated with certain drugs (chemotherapy agents, antibiotics), and that also increases with aging. This painful and uncomfortable condition is met with no therapeutic options to halt or reverse the neurodegeneration. In addition, diagnosis of the condition occurs quite late in the disease process when large myelinated nerves die-back. Thus, earlier diagnosis and improved therapies to re-grow peripheral nerves would be a major advancement in the treatment of peripheral neuropathies, and that is the goal of the current project.