A signal-amplifiable biochip quantifies extracellular vesicle-associated RNAs for early cancer detection

Nat Commun. 2017 Nov 22;8(1):1683. doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-01942-1.

Abstract

Detection of extracellular vesicle (EV)-associated RNAs with low expression levels in early-stage cancer remains a challenge and is highly valuable. Here, we report a nanoparticle-based biochip that could capture circulating EVs without isolation, brighten encapsulated RNAs, and amplify fluorescence signals in situ in a single step. We confine catalyzed hairpin DNA circuit (CHDC) in cationic lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles (LPHNs) that are tethered on a chip. LPHN features a core-shell-corona structure that facilitates the transfer and mixing of CHDC with EV-associated RNAs when forming the LPHN-EV nanocomplex. CHDC is triggered upon target RNA binding and quickly generate amplified signals. The signal amplification efficiency of LPHN-CHDC is demonstrated in artificial EVs, cancer cells, and cancer cell-derived EVs. We show that LPHN-CHDC biochip with signal amplification capability could selectively and sensitively identify low expression glypican-1 mRNA in serum EVs, distinguishing patients with early- and late-stage pancreatic cancer from healthy donors and patients with benign pancreatic disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / blood
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • DNA, Catalytic / genetics
  • Early Detection of Cancer / methods*
  • Early Detection of Cancer / statistics & numerical data
  • Extracellular Vesicles / genetics*
  • Female
  • Glypicans / genetics
  • Humans
  • Inverted Repeat Sequences
  • Lipids / chemistry
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nanoparticles / chemistry
  • Nanoparticles / ultrastructure
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / methods
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / statistics & numerical data
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / blood
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / blood
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Neoplasm / blood
  • RNA, Neoplasm / genetics*
  • Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • DNA, Catalytic
  • GPC1 protein, human
  • Glypicans
  • Lipids
  • RNA, Messenger
  • RNA, Neoplasm

Associated data

  • figshare/10.6084/m9.figshare.5450356