Wearable biosensors for autoimmune disorders

Millions of people are affected worldwide by autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis and others, whose immune attacks also do not occur in a straightforward or stable manner. Dynamic changes of disease progression and treatment efficacy are not regularly monitored or diagnosed using conventional diagnostic and monitoring techniques. Wearable biosensors (WBS) provide a transformational solution for continuous, minimally invasive biomarker monitoring including cytokines, autoantibodies and acute phase proteins. This paper reviews the pathophysiology underlying WBS in autoimmune disease management, the relevant biomarkers, and the recent advances in biosensor technology. Sensitivity, specificity, stability and biocompatibility issues have also been addressed. Towards the future, our vision includes future prospects in big data analytics and artificial intelligence for predictive modeling, material science advancements for improving sensor performance, noninvasive monitoring technologies, and omics integration for a complete health status of the patient. These innovations have the ability to affect patients suffering from autoimmune disease in a personalized, data driven, and real time manner.