ssDNA-Modified Gold Nanoparticles as a Tool to Detect miRNA Biomarkers in Osteoarthritis

[Image: see text] Recently, miRNAs have been established as promising, specific biomarkers for the diagnosis of many diseases, including osteoarthritis. Herein, we report a ssDNA-based detection method for miRNAs implicated in osteoarthritis, specifically, miR-93 and miR-223. In this study, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were modified with oligonucleotide ssDNA to detect miRNAs circulating in the blood in healthy subjects and patients suffering from osteoarthritis. The detection method was based on the colorimetric and spectrophotometric assessment of biofunctionalized AuNPs upon interaction with the target and their subsequent aggregation. Results showed that these methods could be used to detect easily and rapidly miR-93 but not miR-223 in osteoarthritic patients, and they could potentially be used as a diagnostic tool for blood biomarkers. Visual-based detection as well as spectroscopic methods are simple, rapid, and label-free, due to which they can be used as a diagnostic tool.