Performance of a template enhanced hybridization process in biological media for the detection of a breast cancer biomarker

Abstract

Single stranded nucleic acids, for e.g., exosomal microRNAs, have been utilized widely for the analysis of the pathological status of individuals in recent years. Template enhanced hybridization process (TeHyP) is a promising strategy for the detection and quantification of such nucleic acid biomarkers. In the TeHyP strategy, two separate DNA strands only assemble for their performance when the target template is present. A TeHyP strategy may be combined with a split G-quadruplex peroxidase mimic to be a colorimetric assay of single stranded nucleic acids. In this study, a special case of such TeHyP was designed and investigated for its detection performance for a microRNA that was reported as a biomarker for triple negative breast cancer. The performance of the colorimetric assay was analyzed comprehensively in the presence of biological media, for e.g., blood, urine, plasma, serum, and saliva. The impact of biological media on the peroxidase mimic activity of the TeHyP system in the presence of the target or its mutants has been quantitatively investigated here.