Epigenetic biomarkers are powerful tools for early disease detection and are particularly useful for elusive conditions like preeclampsia. Predicting preeclampsia at an early stage is one of the most important goals of maternal-fetal medicine. To this end, recent studies have identified microRNAs-such as microRNA-17-as early biomarkers for preeclampsia. Yet clinical applications are lagging, owing in part to the sensing challenges presented by the biomarkers' small size and complex environment. Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is an emergent optical technique that is recognized for its potential to overcome these challenges. In this study, DNA functionalized nanoparticles were designed as probes to capture and quantify miRNA-17 in solution. SERS was used to determine the presence and concentration of miRNA-17 based on the formation of plasmonic nanoparticle aggregates. The miRNA-17 assay was tested at concentrations of 1 pM to 1 nM in both PBS and a representative complex biological sample. In both situations the assay was unaffected by non-complementary microRNA samples. These results demonstrate SERS's specificity and sensitivity for a new biomarker (miRNA-17) that may ultimately be used in a detection platform for early diagnosis of preeclampsia.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c9an00653b | DOI Listing |
J Phys Chem Lett
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Frigid Zone Cardiovascular Diseases (SKLFZCD), Research Center for Innovative Technology of Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Heilongjiang 150081, PR China.
Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has become an indispensable tool for biomolecular analysis, yet the detection of DNA signals remains hindered by spectral interference from citrate ions, which overlap with key DNA features. This study introduces an innovative, ultrasensitive SERS platform utilizing thiol-modified silver nanoparticles (Ag@SDCNPs) that overcomes this challenge by eliminating citrate interference. This platform enables direct, interference-free detection and structural characterization of a wide range of DNA conformations, including single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), i-motif, hairpin, G-quadruplex, and triple-stranded DNA (tsDNA).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Sens
January 2025
Department of Physics, Umeå University, Umeå SE-901 87, Sweden.
Bacterial spores are highly resilient and capable of surviving extreme conditions, making them a persistent threat in contexts such as disease transmission, food safety, and bioterrorism. Their ability to withstand conventional sterilization methods necessitates rapid and accurate detection techniques to effectively mitigate the risks they present. In this study, we introduce a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) approach for detecting spores by targeting calcium dipicolinate acid (CaDPA), a biomarker uniquely associated with bacterial spores.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnal Chem
January 2025
Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031, China.
Nanoplastics, emerging as pervasive environmental pollutants, pose significant threats to ecosystems and human health due to their small size and potential toxicity. However, detecting trace levels of nanoplastics remains challenging because of limitations in the current analytical methods. Herein, we propose a method that combines superhydrophobic enrichment with SERS analysis for detecting trace nanoplastics in aqueous environments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClin Chim Acta
January 2025
Gynaecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin Medical University, Heilongjiang 150081 PR China. Electronic address:
Background: Exosomes, nanoscale extracellular vesicles secreted by various cells, are abundantly present in biological fluids. They have been identified as carriers of specific molecules, suggesting their potential role in early disease detection. However, their clinical application is hindered by several challenges, including the need for large sample volumes for enrichment, limitations of traditional detection methods, and the complexity involved in phenotype analysis and separation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNanophotonics
January 2025
Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, 01-224 Warsaw, Kasprzaka 44/52, Poland.
A combination of femtosecond stimulated Raman scattering and surface-enhanced Raman scattering, termed surface-enhanced stimulated Raman scattering (SE-FSRS), was proposed to leverage both temporal precision and sensitivity for advanced molecular dynamics analysis. During the initial successful implementations of this approach, unexpected spectral distortions were observed, and several potential explanations were proposed. Further progress in this novel technique and its broader implementation requires a profound understanding of the factors influencing the shape of the registered spectra and the underlying mechanisms.
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