CRISPR-Cas-based biosensors for cancer biomarkers detection

Abstract

Along with the discovery of cancer biomarkers, the noninvasive detective method has been played a critical role in early cancer diagnosis and prognostic improvement. Some traditional detective methods have been used for cancer biomarkers detection, but they need much time, materials and human cost. With great flexibility, sensitivity and specificity, the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) associated system provides a wide range of application prospects in this field. Herein, we introduce the background of CRISPR-Cas (CRISPR-associated) system and comprehensively summarize the diagnosis strategies of cancer mediated by the CRISPR-Cas system, including 4 different kinds of biomarkers according to the biochemical basis: nucleic acid, enzyme, tumor-specific protein and exosome. Furthermore, we discuss problems to be solved of CRISPR-Cas system in clinical application.