Ultrasensitive detection of exosomes by microchip electrophoresis combining with triple amplification strategies

Self-generated single-drop microextraction enhanced aggregation-induced emission strategy based on magnetic metal-organic framework for microRNA-21 detection

Lung cancer is one of the most common malignancies with low prevention efficiency and high mortality, so prevention and early detection are very important. In this work, we propose a magnetic metal-organic skeleton nanomaterial bound to biological nucleic acid chains in a spatially confined magnetic single-drop microextraction (SDME) system to enhance the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) effect for fluorescence detection of miRNA-21 associated with lung cancer. DNA/MOF network structure was formed, and loaded with an AIE material, 4',4''',4''''',4'''''''-(ethene-1,1,2,2-tetrayl) tetrakis-([1,1-biphenyl]-3-carboxylic acid) (H4ETTC), by DNA amplification reaction. From a serum sample, the structure was then spontaneously collected, forming a single drop at the end of a magnetic rod in less than 10 s by utilizing a magnetic SDME process. In this self-generated single drop, the structure was aggregated and the fluorescence signal of H4ETTC was enhanced. Direct detection by fluorescence spectrophotometry was enabled. The limit of detection of miRNA-21 was 0.194 fM, and the linear range of miRNA-21 was 1 fM to 100 nM, respectively. The method was applied to the fluorescence detection of miRNA in human serum samples. The relative recoveries were 98.4 %-104.5 %.

Microfluidic Nanoparticle Separation for Precision Medicine

A deeper understanding of disease heterogeneity highlights the urgent need for precision medicine. Microfluidics, with its unique advantages, such as high adjustability, diverse material selection, low cost, high processing efficiency, and minimal sample requirements, presents an ideal platform for precision medicine applications. As nanoparticles, both of biological origin and for therapeutic purposes, become increasingly important in precision medicine, microfluidic nanoparticle separation proves particularly advantageous for handling valuable samples in personalized medicine. This technology not only enhances detection, diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment accuracy, but also reduces invasiveness in medical procedures. This review summarizes the fundamentals of microfluidic nanoparticle separation techniques for precision medicine, starting with an examination of nanoparticle properties essential for separation and the core principles that guide various microfluidic methods. It then explores passive, active, and hybrid separation techniques, detailing their principles, structures, and applications. Furthermore, the review highlights their contributions to advancements in liquid biopsy and nanomedicine. Finally, it addresses existing challenges and envisions future development spurred by emerging technologies such as advanced materials science, 3D printing, and artificial intelligence. These interdisciplinary collaborations are anticipated to propel the platformization of microfluidic separation techniques, significantly expanding their potential in precision medicine.

Quantification of multiple microRNAs by microchip electrophoresis assisted by strand displacement amplification

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are increasingly recognized as potential biomarkers for the early diagnosis of cancer. However, the concurrent detection of multiple miRNAs in biological samples presents a significant challenge due to their high homogeneity and low abundance. This study introduced a novel approach combining strand displacement amplification (SDA) with microchip electrophoresis (MCE) for the simultaneous quantitation of trace levels of three miRNAs associated with cancer: miRNA-21, miRNA-145, and miRNA-221. Specifically designed probes were utilized to selectively capture the target miRNAs, thereby initiating the SDA process in a single solution without cross-interference. Under optimized conditions, the SDA-MCE method achieved the limit of detection (LOD) as low as 0.02 fM (S/N = 3) and the limit of quantitation (LOQ) as low as 0.1 fM across a broad linear range spanning from 0.1 fM to 1 pM. The SDA reaction was completed in approximately 1.5 h, and all target products were separated within 135 s through MCE. Application of this method for the simultaneous detection of these three miRNAs in human lung cancer cell samples yielded satisfactory results. Featuring high sensitivity, rapid analysis, minimal reagent consumption, and straightforward operation, the proposed MCE-SDA strategy holds considerable promise for multi-miRNAs detection applications.

A proximity ligation hybridization triggered structure-switching based signal amplification strategy for sensitive and accurate exosome detection

Exosomes have significant functions in intercellular communication, as well as in tumor migration and invasion. Nevertheless, the precise identification of exosomes poses a significant obstacle due to their low abundance in biofluids and potential disruption caused by free protein molecules, such as CD63 protein. In this study, we have developed a signal amplification method for precise detection of exosomes using a proximity ligation hybridization triggered structure-switching approach. The method involves the dual-recognition of exosomes by two probes: an aptamer probe that recognizes the exosomal surface protein CD63 (L1 probe), and a cholesterol probe that targets the biolipid layer of the exosomes (L2 probe). Based on the dual-recognition of exosomes, we have successfully developed an accurate and sensitive approach that integrates the proximity ligation hybridization technique with a structure-switching based signal cycle. This approach allows for the simultaneous analysis of two biomarkers, enabling both quantification and tracing of exosomes without the need for enzymes. Eventually, the proposed method exhibits a wide detection range of 5 orders of magnitude and a low limit of detection of 36 particles per μL, making it suitable for a wide range of applications in the fields of biological science, biomedical engineering, and personalized medicine.

Aptamer-mediated double strand displacement amplification with microchip electrophoresis for ultrasensitive detection of Salmonella typhimurium

Rapid and quantitative detection of foodborne bacteria is of great significance to public health. In this work, an aptamer-mediated double strand displacement amplification (SDA) strategy was first explored to couple with microchip electrophoresis (MCE) for rapid and ultrasensitive detection of Salmonella typhimurium (S. Typhimurium). In double-SDA, a bacteria-identified probe consisting of the aptamer (Apt) and trigger sequence (Tr) was ingeniously designed. The aptamer showed high affinity to the S. Typhimurium, releasing the Tr sequence from the probe. The released Tr hybridized with template C1 chain, initiating the first SDA to produce numerous output strands (OS). The second SDA process was induced with the hybridization of the liberated OS and template C2 sequence, generating a large number of reporter strands (RS), which were separated and quantified through MCE. Cascade signal amplification and rapid separation of nucleic acids could be realized by the proposed double-SDA method with MCE, achieving the limit of detection for S. typhimurium down to 6 CFU/mL under the optimal conditions. Based on the elaborate design of the probes, the double-SDA assisted MCE strategy achieved better amplification performance, showing high separation efficiency and simple operation, which has satisfactory expectation for bacterial disease diagnosis.

One-step and label-free ratiometric fluorescence assay for the detection of plasma exosome towards cancer diagnosis

Exosomes are closely associated with tumor development and are regarded as viable biomarkers for cancer. Here, a ratiometric fluorescence method was proposed for the one-step and label-free detection of plasma exosomes. A bicolor streptavidin magnetic beads were specifically created with an immobilized Cy5-labeled hairpin aptamer for CD63 (Cy5-Apt) on its surface to identify exosome, and a green color SYBR Green I (SGI) embedded in the stem of Cy5-Apt to respond to exosomes. After exosome capture, the Cy5-Apt could undergo a conformational shift and release the encapsulated SGI, allowing exosome measurement based on the fluorescence ratio of Cy5 and SGI. The enrichment, separation and detection of exosomes in proposed method could be completed in one step (30 min), which is a significant improvement over previous method. Furthermore, the use of ratiometric fluorescence and magnetic separation allows for exosome enrichment and interference elimination from complex matrices, improving accuracy and sensitivity. Particularly, the assay could detect exosomes in plasma and has potential to distinguish lung cancer patients from healthy volunteers with an area under the receiver operator characteristic curve of 0.85. Besides, the study provided an efficient method for analyzing the various divisions of exosomes by merely modifying the aptamer, which holds great promise for point-of-care applications.

Isothermal strand displacement polymerase reaction (ISDPR)-assisted microchip electrophoresis for highly sensitive detection of cancer associated microRNAs

More and more studies have found that microRNAs (miRNAs) are markers of cancer, and detection of miRNAs is beneficial for early diagnosis and prognosis of cancer. In this paper, the isothermal strand displacement polymerase reaction (ISDPR), which is an enzyme-assisted nucleic acid amplification method, was studied to combine with microchip electrophoresis (MCE) for a simultaneously detection of two cancer related miRNAs named microRNA-21 (miR-21) and microRNA-221 (miR-221). In the ISDPR amplification, two different DNA hairpins (HPs) were specifically designed, so that miR-21 and miR-221 could respectively bind to HPs and started ISDPR amplification to generate two different products which were ultimately detected by MCE. The optimal conditions of ISDPR were carefully investigated, and the limits of detection (LOD) of miR-21 and miR-221 were as low as 0.35 fM and 0.25 fM (S/N = 3) respectively under these conditions. The human lung tumor cells and serum samples were analyzed by this ISDPR-MCE method and satisfactory results were obtained, which means that this method is of high sensitivity, high efficiency, low reagent consumption and simple operation in miRNAs detection.