Skip to main content

miRNA-34a Gold-Modified Screen-Printed Graphene/MoS₂ Sensor

 

1. Introduction

Breast cancer remains one of the most significant causes of morbidity and mortality among women globally. Traditional diagnostic approaches, such as tissue biopsies, though effective, are often invasive, expensive, and require considerable clinical expertise. This study addresses the growing need for less invasive, rapid, and cost-effective diagnostic alternatives by exploring a liquid biopsy-based strategy using microRNA detection. Specifically, it introduces a novel electrochemical biosensor designed to identify miRNA-34a, a known biomarker of breast cancer, thereby offering a promising solution for early and accurate disease detection.

2. Development of a Two-Dimensional Nanocomposite-Based Biosensor

The biosensor developed in this research employs a composite of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂), chosen for their synergistic physicochemical properties. These two-dimensional materials exhibit high surface area and electrical conductivity, which are crucial for improving biosensor sensitivity. Furthermore, the sulfur atoms in MoS₂ facilitate the anchoring of metallic nanoparticles, such as gold, enhancing probe immobilization. This strategic combination forms the basis of a powerful sensing platform suitable for the electrochemical detection of nucleic acid biomarkers.

3. Functionalization and Enhancement via Gold Nanoparticles

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) play a pivotal role in the biosensor’s performance by enhancing conductivity and enabling robust probe immobilization through thiol-gold covalent bonds. The incorporation of AuNPs onto the surface of the SPrGO/MoS₂ composite electrode not only increases the electrochemical activity but also provides high affinity for thiolated DNA probes. This ensures specific and stable hybridization with the target miRNA-34a, enabling precise detection with minimal background interference.

4. Electrochemical Detection Mechanism

The detection strategy utilizes differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), a highly sensitive electrochemical technique, to monitor hybridization events. The current signal generated by the redox activity of ferrocyanide reflects the presence and concentration of miRNA-34a. The biosensor demonstrates a wide linear detection range from 0.1 nM to 1000 nM and an impressively low detection limit of 66 pM. This sensitivity is crucial for detecting miRNA-34a in clinical samples, where biomarker concentrations are often very low.

5. Clinical Applicability and Performance Validation

The biosensor was evaluated using serum samples spiked with varying concentrations of miRNA-34a, representing low, medium, and high levels typically seen in patient populations. The results demonstrated high precision, accuracy, and repeatability, highlighting the potential of this platform for clinical diagnostics. The sensor’s stability and ease of use further support its application in point-of-care settings, especially in resource-limited environments where traditional biopsy procedures may not be feasible.

6. Future Perspectives and Applications

The development of this SPrGO/MoS₂-based biosensor marks a significant step forward in the field of electrochemical diagnostics. Its capability to accurately detect miRNA-34a offers a foundation for expanding the platform to other miRNA biomarkers associated with various cancers or diseases. With further validation, such biosensors could become standard tools for early cancer detection, treatment monitoring, and potentially for personalized medicine approaches, bridging the gap between laboratory research and real-world clinical application.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Abrisa Technologies Acquires Agama Glass Technologies

SANTA PAULA, Calif. — Abrisa Technologies, a provider of custom glass optics and thin film coatings and a subsidiary of HEF Photonics, has acquired Agama Glass Technologies, a manufacturer of etched anti-glare glass and technical glass processing. The acquisition, Abrisa said, expands its manufacturing footprint and adds a vertically integrated solution for chemically etched anti-glare display glass. According to Abrisa, Clarksburg, West Virginia-based Agama operates North America’s only high-volume technical glass etching facility. Agama's flagship product, AgamaEtch, is used in high-performance display and optics applications. The company's 85,000 sq ft facility also offers precision glass fabrication, chemical strengthening, and silk-screen printing, serving markets such as avionics, defense, medical, industrial, and touchscreen displays. Combined with Abrisa Technologies’ and HEF Photonics’ thin-film coating and surface engineering capabilities, Agama's offerings wi...
Post a Comment
Read more

How Biophotonics Is Harnessing Light for Health And Science

Fifty or so years ago French physicist Pierre Aigrain coined the term photonics as a research field whose goal was to use light to perform functions that traditionally fell within the typical domain of electronics, such as telecommunications, and information processing. Or maybe it was John Campbell who, in a letter sent to Gotthard Gunther in 1954, wrote, “Incidentally, I’ve decided to invent a new science — photonics. It bears the same relationship to Optics that electronics does to electrical engineering. Photonics, like electronics, will deal with the individual units; optics and EE deal with the group phenomena! And note that you can do things with electronics that are impossible in electrical engineering!” Naming rights aside, the field of photonics began in earnest between 1958 and 1960 with the invention of the maser and the laser. The laser diode followed during the 1970s, optical fibers and the erbium-doped fiber amplifier after that, and, pretty soon, the telecommunications...
Post a Comment
Read more

Laser Method Enables Fast & Precise Blood Vessels in Hydrogel

Researchers from Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien) and Keio University have found a way to create artificial blood vessels in miniature organ models in a quick and reproducible manner. The method utilizes ultrashort laser pulses in the femtosecond range to write highly 3D structures into a hydrogel. In biomedical research, organs-on-a-chip are becoming increasingly important: By cultivating tissue structures in precisely controlled microfluidic chips, it is possible to conduct research much more accurately than in experiments involving living humans or animals. However, there has been a major obstacle: such mini-organs are incomplete without blood vessels. To facilitate systematic studies and ensure meaningful comparisons with living organisms, a network of perfusable blood vessels and capillaries must be created — in a way that is precisely controllable and reproducible. “We can create channels spaced only a hundred micrometers apart. That’s essential when you would like to...
Post a Comment
Read more