A new fluorescence turn-on nanobiosensor for the detection of micro-RNA-21 based on a DNA–gold nanocluster

In this study, DNA/gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) were used to develop an AuNC-based turn-on fluorescence probe for the analysis of mi-RNA-21, which is a potential screening biomarker for cancer detection. AuNCs on a DNA scaffold were prepared through a one-pot wet-chemical route and evaluated by transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. Experiments revealed that the fluorescence intensity of the DNA–AuNCs showed a gradual increase with the addition of the target species in a concentration range from 1pM to 10 nM. The method had a detection limit of 0.7 pM and was able to discriminate the target species from mismatched mi-RNAs very efficiently. The method was used for the determination of mi-RNA spiked human plasma samples, and was evaluated as a promising nanobiosensor for application in the selective detection of mi-RNA in various biomedical and clinical tests.