Sequence-Specific Detection of Unlabeled Nucleic Acid Biomarkers Using a "One-Pot" 3D Molecular Sensor.

DNA and RNA biomarkers have not progressed beyond the automated specialized clinic due to failure in the reproducibility necessary to standardize robust and rapid nucleic acid detection at the point of care, where health outcomes can be most improved by early-stage diagnosis and precise monitoring of therapy and disease prognosis. We demonstrate here a new analytical platform to meet this challenge using functional 3D hydrogels engineered from peptide and oligonucleotide building blocks to provide sequence-specific, PCR-free fluorescent detection of unlabeled nucleic acid sequences. We discriminated at picomolar detection limits (<7 pM) "perfect-match" from mismatched sequences, down to a single nucleotide mutation, buried within longer lengths of the target.

miRNases: Novel peptide-oligonucleotide bioconjugates that silence miR-21 in lymphosarcoma cells.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are active regulators in malignant growth and constitute potential targets for anticancer therapy. Consequently, considerable effort has focused on identifying effective ways to modulate aberrant miRNA expression. Here we introduce and assess a novel type of chemically engineered biomaterial capable of cleaving specific miRNA sequences, i.