An integrated liposome-based microfluidic strategy for rapid colorimetric analysis: A case study of microRNA-21 detection

• Published in: Talanta (Oxford) Vol. 272; p. 125838
• Main Authors: Zeng, Xuemin, Wang, Lina, Liu, Chang, Zhang, Jinghui, Shi, Hai-Wei, Shen, Wei, Kong, Dezhao, Huang, Cheng, Lee, Hian Kee, Tang, Sheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 15-05-2024
• Subjects: Biosensing Techniques; Colorimetry; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Gold; Humans; Limit of Detection; Liposome; Liposomes; Metal Nanoparticles; Microfluidic chip; Microfluidics; MicroRNA-21; MicroRNAs - analysis; Smartphone; Microfluidic chip; Liposome; Colorimetry; MicroRNA-21; Smartphone
• ISSN: 0039-9140; 1873-3573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2024.125838

In this study, a novel integrated liposome-based microfluidic platform combined with a smartphone was designed for the rapid colorimetric detection of microRNA-21 (miRNA-21) in real samples. The flowing surface-functionalized liposomes were first captured by nucleic acid-functionalized Au nanoparticles in the microfluidic chip. In the presence of miRNA-21, the DNA strand modified on the surface of Au nanoparticles hybridized with the target to form double-stranded products and was cleaved by duplex-specific nuclease (DSN) enzyme, causing the liposomes to be re-released. Then, as the liposomes in the colorimetric module were lysed and the “cellular” contents were released, a step-by-step “glucose-glucose oxidase-3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB)” colorimetric reaction process catalyzed by the G-quadruplex/hemin was triggered. The grayscale values were recorded and recognized by the smartphone camera for miRNA-21 analysis. The advantages of the present strategy included the portability of smartphone-based colorimetric assay, the encapsulation and transport of reactants by liposomes and the low solvent usage of microfluidic chip. Under optimal conditions, this assay exhibited a wide linear range from 1 pM to 1 nM (r2 = 0.9981), and the limit of detection of miRNA-21 was as low as 0.27 pM. Moreover, the high specificity of this strategy allowed its successful application to the rapid analysis of miRNA-21 in real blood serum samples of people with type 2 diabetes.
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•A novel liposome-based microfluidic system combined with a smartphone was designed.•Rapid colorimetric strategy was based on the liposome-triggered sequential reaction.•The simple method was highly sensitive for the specific recognition of microRNA-21.