Quantitative microsampling for bioanalytical applications related to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: Usefulness, benefits and pitfalls

J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2020 Nov 30:191:113597. doi: 10.1016/j.jpba.2020.113597. Epub 2020 Aug 30.

Abstract

The multiple pathological effects of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, and its total novelty, mean that currently a lot of diagnostic and therapeutic tools, established and tentative alike, are needed to treat patients in a timely, effective way. In order to make these tools more reliable, faster and more feasible, biological fluid microsampling techniques could provide many advantages. In this review, the most important microsampling techniques are considered (dried matrix spots, volumetric absorptive microsampling, microfluidics and capillary microsampling, solid phase microextraction) and their respective advantages and disadvantages laid out. Moreover, currently available microsampling applications of interest for SARS-CoV-2 therapy are described, in order to make them as much widely known as possible, hopefully providing useful information to researchers and clinicians alike.

Keywords: DBS; DMS; Microsampling; SARS-CoV-2; VAMS.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Blood Specimen Collection
  • COVID-19
  • Chemistry Techniques, Analytical / trends*
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis*
  • Coronavirus Infections / therapy
  • Dried Blood Spot Testing
  • Humans
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Viral / diagnosis*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / therapy
  • Solid Phase Microextraction
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry