Entropy-driven strand displacement reaction for ultrasensitive detection of circulating tumor DNA based on upconversion and Fe3O4 nanocrystals

Abstract

Early detection of cancer biomarkers applied in real-time disease diagnosis and therapies can increase the survival rate of patients. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) as a typical cancer biomarker plays a great role in the process of tumor disease monitoring, especially in early diagnosis. Unfortunately, most ctDNA detection systems have not been widely used due to their low sensitivity, poor specificity, and high cost. Herein, we developed an alternative ctDNA detection system to present the levels of ctDNA by recording the fluorescence signals of the system containing upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs), Fe 3 O 4 , and entropy-driven strand displacement reaction. The method has a practical sensitivity with a wide linear range from 100 amol L −1 to 1 nmol L −1 and a low detection limit of 1.6 amol L −1 . Furthermore, the system demonstrates a practical application in mouse blood serum samples and meets the requirements for rapid, sensitive, specific, and economical diagnosis of cancers. Thus, this ctDNA detection system may have great potential for ctDNA detection and clinical diagnosis.

Simultaneous detection of CaMV35S and NOS using fluorescence sensors with dual emission silver nanoclusters and catalytic hairpin amplification strategy

“…In recent years, a few non-enzymatic nucleic acid ampli cation techniques have been widely used for DNA determination, for example, cascade ampli cation [30], entropy drive circuit (EDC) [31], hybrid chain reaction (HCR) [32] and catalytic hairpin ampli cation (CHA) [33]. In particular, CHA has generated great interest in the eld of molecular sensing because it is a programmable DNA signal ampli er with the advantages of low cost, high sensitivity, and high e ciency that can stand on two partially complementary hairpins for target ampli cation [34].…”

Recent progress of biosensors for the detection of lung cancer markers

“…82,238 The ultrasensitive nonenzymatic optical nanosensor is based on upconversion nanoparticles and Fe 3 O 4 for the detection of ctDNA with a sensitivity as low as 1.6 amol L À1 in serum samples. 239 The detection of cancer point mutations such as KRAS G12V is based on the fluorescence method. 240 The combination of the antigen and antibody realizes the fluorescence detection method for proteins.…”

Recent advances in tumor biomarker detection by lanthanide upconversion nanoparticles

“…In 2021, Chen and co-workers developed a highly sensitive ctDNA detection system based on a mechanism of entropy-driven strand displacement reaction (ESDR) using Yb 3+ /Er 3+ -codoped UCNPs, Fe 3 O 4 NPs, and DNA strands as building blocks. 108 Two DNA-functionalized UCNPs were ligated with partially complementary DNA-functionalized Fe 3 O 4 NPs to form probes. The probes were cleaved by an entropic reaction, bound to the target, and released for reuse, resulting in target cycle amplification.…”