Electrochemical-based MicroRNA sensors

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous, non-coding single-stranded RNAs that regulate gene expression via degradation or translational repression of their targeted mRNAs. MiRNAs control cell growth, differentiation and apoptosis at a post-transciptional level. Recent evidence has shown that impaired miRNAs expression correlates with various human cancers and indicates that miRNAs can function as tumour suppressors and oncogenes, which provides a type of promising biomarkers for cancer diagnositics. Therefore, more and more researchers are interested in developing novel miRNAs detection methods. Because electrochemical methods are rapid, sensitive and electrochemical detectors are inexpensive and portable, there has been intense interest in developing new electrochemical sensors for miRNA detection. Here, studies on electrochemical miRNA biosensors are reviewed which contains the principle of DNA biosensor, several signal amplification technologies for biosensor, design of probe for miRNA biosensor and existing electrochemical methods for miRNA detection.