title: BioCode gold-nanobeacon for the detection of fusion transcripts causing chronic myeloid leukemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gold-nanobeacons (Au-nanobeacons) have proven to be versatile systems for molecular diagnostics and therapeutic actuators. Here, we present the development and characterization of two gold nanobeacons combined with Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) based spectral codification for dual mode sequence discrimination. This is the combination of two powerful technologies onto a single nanosystem.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We proved this concept to detect the most common fusion sequences associated with the development of chronic myeloid leukemia, e13a2 and e14a2. The detection is based on spectral shift of the donor signal to the acceptor, which allows for corroboration of the hybridization event. The Au-nanobeacon acts as scaffold for detection of the target in a homogenous format whose output capability (i.e. additional layer of information) is potentiated via the spectral codification strategy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The spectral coded Au-nanobeacons permit the detection of each of the pathogenic fusion sequences, with high specificity towards partial complementary sequences. The proposed BioCode Au-nanobeacon concept provides for a nanoplatform for molecular recognition suitable for cancer diagnostics.
authors.affiliation: LAQV, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campus de Caparica, 2829-516, Caparica, Portugal.|CIGMH, UCIBIO, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campus de Caparica, 2829-516, Caparica, Portugal.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cordeiro
authors.affiliation: LAQV, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campus de Caparica, 2829-516, Caparica, Portugal.|CIGMH, UCIBIO, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campus de Caparica, 2829-516, Caparica, Portugal.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giestas
authors.affiliation: LAQV, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campus de Caparica, 2829-516, Caparica, Portugal.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.affiliation: CIGMH, UCIBIO, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campus de Caparica, 2829-516, Caparica, Portugal. pmvb@fct.unl.pt.
authors.forename: P M V
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5255-7095
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Baptista
mesh_terms: D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000379:methods; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer / Q000379:methods*; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / Q000235:genetics*; D015973:Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000235:genetics*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D006046:Gold; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl
keywords: BCR-ABL fusion; Biosensor; FRET; Gold nanoparticles; Hybridization; Leukemia