Enzyme-amplified biosensor achieves sensitivity up to 1,000 times greater than current methods for microRNA detection.
Researchers at La Trobe University have developed a single-use test strip that can detect disease-indicating microRNAs in blood plasma at concentrations up to a trillion times lower than glucose levels detected by standard glucose test strips.
The biosensor, described in the journal Small, uses specialized enzymes to amplify electrical signals when detecting microRNAs—molecules that provide early indicators of diseases including cancer but are typically present in extremely small amounts in blood, plasma, and saliva.
“MicroRNAs provide early clues about health and diseases like cancer but they can be difficult to detect even using standard laboratory methods like PCR tests because they are often present in tiny amounts in blood, plasma, and saliva,” says Saimon Moraes Silva, PhD, senior researcher on the project, in a release.
Enzyme Amplification Drives Sensitivity Gains
The research team’s key innovation centers on a specialized enzyme that significantly amplifies the biosensor’s response. When a sample is added to the test strip, the electrical signal decreases proportionally to the amount of target microRNA present.
“The enzyme amplifies this change so we can detect microRNAs at concentrations 1,000 times lower,” says lead researcher and PhD candidate Vatsala Pithaih in a release.
The enhanced sensitivity addresses a major challenge in early disease detection, where biomarkers may be present at levels below the detection threshold of conventional laboratory methods.
Point-of-Care Applications
The biosensor technology could eventually enable disease testing outside traditional laboratory settings, according to the researchers. Distinguished professor Brian Abbey, a senior researcher on the project, says the development moves closer to truly accessible diagnostic testing.
“It is exciting to be one step closer to disease diagnosis and monitoring that is truly point-of-need: affordable, convenient, accessible, and effective,” says Abbey in a release.
The research was conducted across multiple La Trobe University facilities, including the ARC Research Hub for Molecular Biosensors at Point-of-Use, the La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, the Biomedical and Environmental Sensor Technology Research Centre, and the Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry.
The technology represents an advancement in biosensor sensitivity for detecting circulating biomarkers that could indicate early-stage disease, though clinical validation and regulatory approval would be required before the test strips could be used in diagnostic applications.
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