Magnetically Driven Dual-miRNA Framework Nucleic Acid Biosensing Platform for Precise Classification of Breast Cancer Subtypes

  • ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2026 Jul 8;18(26):36582-36597. doi: 10.1021/acsami.6c06976.
Xiaochen Xia  1 ,  Ziming Ye  2 ,  Juan Hu  3 ,  Zhengju Zhang  4 ,  Xiaoxue Liu  1 ,  Xue Wu  1 ,  Huijie Bai  1 ,  Cuiping Mao  1 ,  Yi Li  1 ,  Xiaoxia Liu  5 ,  Jinhong Guo  1  6 ,  Kuo Chen  2 ,  Yong Wang  1
Affiliations
  • 1. Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (Chinese Ministry of Education), College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China.
  • 2. School of Computer Science and Technology, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065, China.
  • 3. The Center for Clinical Molecular Medical Detection, Innovative and Translational Laboratory of Molecular Diagnostics, Laboratory Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China.
  • 4. School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China.
  • 5. Department of Biomedical Materials Science, College of Biomedical Engineering, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China.
  • 6. School of Automation and Intelligent Sensing, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
PMID: 42334956 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6c06976
Abstract

The significant variation in treatment strategies among breast Cancer subtypes establishes precise early subtyping as a critical prerequisite for effective therapy. While molecular profiling offers accurate classification, developing a rapid and reliable detection method remains challenging. Hence, we constructed an integrated platform by integrating a DNA tetrahedral probe (DTP) and surface antiadhesive magnetic micro/nanorobots (MNRs), enabling rapid contact between the MNR-DTP system and target analytes. The probe enhances fluorescence via target-triggered strand displacement and CHA-mediated signal amplification, allowing breast Cancer subtypes to be identified through distinct dual-color fluorescence patterns. Furthermore, magnetically driven MNRs improve detection efficiency by enhancing mass transfer, promoting mixing, and accelerating probe-target interactions. Experimental results demonstrate that this strategy markedly enhances fluorescence output, enables rapid detection of dual-miRNA signatures in different breast cell lines, and distinguishes expression heterogeneity at the single-cell level. The system shows high specificity and improved sensitivity, with limits of detection of 1.5 pM for miR-21 and 1.17 pM for miR-31. The biocompatibility and stability of the proposed MNR-DTP system make it a promising tool for early breast Cancer subtype discrimination and multiplexed target recognition in complex biological settings.

Keywords
DNA tetrahedral probes; biosensing; breast cancer; catalytic hairpin assembly; micro/nanorobots.
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