Reprogrammable multiplexed detection of circulating oncomiRs using hybridization chain reaction

In this study, we have coupled the DNA polymerization capability of hybridization chain reaction (HCR) with the plasmonic properties of gold nanoparticles to develop a reprogrammable and multiplexed detection of three circulating oncomiRs (miR-10b, miR-21 and miR-141) dysregulated in various disease states of breast cancer. We have demonstrated that by simply changing the initiator (label-free short single stranded DNA) content of the HCR, while keeping everything else unchanged, the same nanoparticle assembly can be reprogrammed for the detection of the target oncomiRs individually or simultaneously in all possible combinations. We have shown that as little as 20 femtomoles of each oncomiR can be detected visually without using any analytical instrument. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the target oncomiR can be detected in an RNA pool isolated from a liquid biopsy mimic of breast cancer.