Micro/Nano Technology for Next‐Generation Diagnostics

Abstract

There has been a constant and urgent need to upgrade the current diagnostic technologies to the next generation by utilizing innovative advanced technologies in order to meet new challenges. Micro/nano technology, a series of methods for design and manipulation materials at the micrometer and nanometer scales, which perfectly covers the key building blocks of life including cells, organelles, proteins, nucleic acids, and other components, has unique advantages over current diagnostic methods. For the applications of micro–nano technology in next‐generation diagnostics, three categories, including microchip‐based devices, DNA nanomachines, and DNA nanomaterials, are extensively reviewed. Specifically, for the microchip‐based devices, terahertz technology and surface acoustic wave technology show their ultrasensitivity of label‐free, amplification‐free diagnosis. For the DNA nanomachines, DNA tweezers, DNA robots, and DNA walkers exhibit a great potential for diagnosis with the arbitrary structures and controllable motion behaviors. For the DNA nanomaterials, DNA aptamers, DNAzymes, and hybrid DNA nanomaterials provide sensitive biorecognition elements and versatile signal transductions, which are demonstrated as promising material candidates for the next‐generation diagnostics. Through this review, it is envisioned that micro/nano technologies will play an important role in the next‐generation diagnostics.

Light-Triggered Polymersome-Based Anticancer Therapeutics Delivery

“…Nanoparticle-based DDSs (NP-DDSs) are widely investigated as nanocarriers for cancer treatment due to their advantages over other DDSs (e.g., microparticle-based DDSs) and free anticancer therapeutic agents. Nanocarriers have at least one size dimension in the order of 1–100 nm, a scale in which molecules of life, such as nucleic acids, proteins, and other chemicals, fall right into [ 31 , 33 , 34 ]. However, nanocarriers with dimensions smaller than 500 nm are occasionally accepted because their biochemical and physiochemical properties are easily modifiable and compatible with DDS applications [ 35 , 36 ].…”

Electrochemical Sensing Directions for Next-Generation Healthcare: Trends, Challenges, and Frontiers

“…Antibodies and aptamers are used for the highly selective biorecognition of surface proteins from CTCs and exosomes, nucleic acids, and proteins. Aptamers are gaining popularity over antibodies because they are smaller, more stable, and more easily synthesized . They have also additional functionalities: selective cleaving of other nucleic acid strands, amplification of specific portions or catalytic activity …”

“…Aptamers are gaining popularity over antibodies because they are smaller, more stable, and more easily synthesized. 30 They have also additional functionalities: selective cleaving of other nucleic acid strands, amplification of specific portions or catalytic activity. 31 Due to the small concentration of the target analytes, an amplification step is unavoidable for obtaining measurable signals.…”

Multiplexed Label-Free Biomarker Detection by Targeted Disassembly of Variable-Length DNA Payload Chains

“…DNA nanotechnology-based diagnostic methods are versatile alternatives that could help address many of the challenges of biomarker detection. DNA nanostructures have been shown to be capable of detecting a variety of different biomarkers, by incorporating or conjugating with affinity reagents such as aptamers and antibodies [20][21][22][23] . Furthermore, DNA nanotechnology-based assays are compatible with a large range of readouts, including electrochemistry 24 , pH 25 , conformational changes detected via gel electrophoresis [26][27][28] , fluorescence imaging 29,30 and naked-eye colorimetric changes 31 .…”