Advancing Remote and Low-Resource Healthcare Delivery with Microbiopsy Skin Sample mRNA Housekeeping Gene Stability Analysis Across Various Temperatures

In the clinical dermatology setting, conventional skin sampling methods such as punch, shave, or excision biopsy are invasive, requiring local anesthesia and after-procedure care. These methods also necessitate immediate processing and cold storage to preserve high-quality nucleic acid, limiting their use in remote and low-resource regions. The microbiopsy, a minimally invasive device designed for sub-millimetre skin sampling, offers an alternative that may overcome these limitations by providing genetic profiles from the viable epidermis. We examined skin patient samples (5 microbiopsies, 3 individuals) stored across five conditions temperature conditions expected to be encountered during commercial shipping. RNA was extracted for TaqMan assay Real-Time PCR on the Fluidgim Dynamic Array targeting three housekeeping genes (ACTB, GAPDH, and RPLP0). Housekeeping genes were successfully detected at comparable levels in samples across non-control conditions, contrasting with positive control samples which showed a trend toward lower gene expression detection. In conclusion, we have established that microbiopsy samples stored in the RNA preservation agent can withstand uncontrolled temperatures likely to be encountered during commercial shipping. This could have a significant impact on enabling access to molecular diagnostic testing in an era of increasing personalized medicine and to address the long-standing need to improve remote healthcare delivery.