title: DNA nanostructure-based ultrasensitive electrochemical microRNA biosensor.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of a wide range of cellular processes, and have been identified as promising cancer biomarkers due to their stable presence in serum. As an surface-based electrochemical biosensors which offer great opportunities for low-cost, point-of-care tests (POCTs) of disease-associated miRNAs. Nevertheless, the sensitivity of miRNA sensors is often limited by mass transport and the surface crowding effect at the water-electrode interface. Here, we present a protocol as well as guidelines for ultrasensitive detection of miRNA with DNA nanostructure-based electrochemical miRNA biosensor. By employing the three-dimensional DNA nanostructure-based interfacial engineering approach, we can directly detect as few as attomolar (<1000 copies) miRNAs with high single-base discrimination ability. Since this ultrasensitive electrochemical miRNA sensor (EMRS) is highly reproducible and essentially free of prior target labeling and PCR amplification, it can conveniently and reliably analyze miRNA expression levels in clinical samples from esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Chemistry and Ionizing Radiation Measurement Technology, Shanghai Institute of Measurement and Testing Technology, Shanghai 201203, China.
authors.forename: Yanli
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pei
authors.forename: Lanying
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Suzhen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Chunhai
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fan
mesh_terms: D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism; D015342:DNA Probes / Q000737:chemistry*; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: DNA nanostructure; Electrochemical DNA sensors; Enzyme amplification; microRNA