Urimem, a membrane that stores urinary components for large-scale biomarker study

Abstract

Urine accumulates traces of changes that occur in the body and can be a promising sample for dynamic health monitoring. Research on the translation of urinary biomarkers is underway. However, the current methods of urine preservation limit the translation of urinary biomarkers from the laboratory studies to the clinical application. Here, we propose a method to adsorb urinary components onto a membrane named urimem. Urine samples were firstly filtered through the membrane, and then the urinary components were concentrated, dried onto membranes, and stored in a vacuum bag. This method is simple and inexpensive, requires minimal sample handling, uses no organic solvents, and is environmentally friendly. Based on this preservation method and noninvasive collection, urine may become one of the most promising samples to be “recorded” in medical history. And this method will promote the clinical transformation of urinary biomarkers.