A Target Recycling Amplification Process for the Digital Detection of Exosomal MicroRNAs through Photonic Resonator Absorption Microscopy

Abstract

Exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) have considerable potential as pivotal biomarkers to monitor cancer development, dis-ease progression, treatment effects and prognosis. Here, we report an efficient target recycling amplification process (TRAP) for the digital detection of miRNAs using photonic resonator absorption microscopy. We achieve multiplex digital detection with sub-attomolar sensitivity in 20 minutes, robust selectivity for single nucleotide variants, and a broad dynamic range from 1 aM to 1 pM. Compared with traditional qRT-PCR, TRAP showed similar accuracy in profiling exosomal miRNAs derived from cancer cells, but also exhibited at least 31-fold and 61-fold enhancement in the limits of miRNA-375 and miRNA-21 detection, respectively. The TRAP approach is ideal for exosomal or circulating miRNA biomarker quantification, where the miRNAs are present in low concentrations or sample volume, with potentials for frequent, low-cost, and minimally invasive point-of-care testing.

Review of Gold Nanoparticles in Surface Plasmon-Coupled Emission Technology: Effect of Shape, Hollow Nanostructures, Nano-Assembly, Metal–Dielectric and Heterometallic Nanohybrids

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Photonic Crystal Enhanced Fluorescence: A Review on Design Strategies and Applications

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CNT and Graphene-Based Transistor Biosensors for Cancer Detection: A Review

“…By enabling early detection, liquid biopsies have the potential to improve patient outcomes through timely intervention, personalized treatment selection, and the monitoring of treatment efficacy. The early detection of cancer is a critical factor in improving patient outcomes, and emerging technologies such as Photonic Crystal Enhanced Fluorescence (PCEF) [24] and Photonic Resonator Absorption Microscopy (PRAM) [25] hold great promise in this endeavor. PCEF leverages the unique properties of photonic crystals to enhance fluorescence signals from cancer-specific biomarkers, enabling the sensitive and specific detection of cancer at an early stage.…”