Nasopharyngeal carcinoma related miRNA detection through a DSN enzyme assisted tetrahedral probe for more accurate prognosis

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a pivotal role in cellular functions and in the development and progression of cancer. Precise quantification of miRNAs from different clinical samples is a challenging but necessary endeavor that is largely neglected by many emerging fluorescence technologies. Herein, we propose here a novel miRNA detection method through a designed tetrahedral probe and DSN enzyme for attached signal amplification. The highlights of the method are calculated as: (i) the tetrahedral probe induced a much higher transfection efficiency than normal probes; (ii) the DSN enzyme-based cleavage ensures amplification and thus leads to a high detection sensitivity. In all, we believe that the proposed method could greatly improve the sensitivity of intracellular miRNA imaging methods and contribute to the fundamental research and prognosis of cancer.