Comparison of Tape-Stripping Platforms as Non-Invasive Solutions for Skin Biomarker Discovery

Use of tape stripping for the collection of stratum corneum is a versatile and reliable procedure for the evaluation of the human skin health, including assessments of the skin barrier function, microbial content, and disease biomarkers. The tape stripping procedure is widely referenced; however, the number and type of tapes required for sample collection vary considerably, and the lack of standardized sampling, processing and normalization protocols complicate data comparison and interpretation. We have compared the performances of two commonly used non-invasive skin sampling platforms by collecting skin tissue from 34 healthy volunteers and applying standardization throughout the workflow, from sampling to data analysis. Our results showed significant differences in the amounts of tissue collected per tape, erythema levels, RNA and protein yields. RNA extracts from both platforms were suitable for sequencing; comparable input and quality of reads were produced for both test groups, however significant differences were found in the percentage of uniquely mapped reads and detected genes. This data highlights processing optimization as an important step in maximizing the efficiency of biomolecule extraction from tape strips and further presents a tape stripping method suitable for fast, efficient, and non-invasive epidermal tissue collection applicable to skin biomarker discovery.