Analytical chemistryApr 23, 2026

A Disposable Nanozyme Sensor for Fast and Sensitive Detection of Breast Cancer DNA in Blood

CRISPR Gene Editing Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Apr 24, 2026

Abstract

A dual-amplification strategy for detecting circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) achieves a detection limit of 860 aM.

The electrochemical biosensor integrates CRISPR/Cas12a for precise target recognition and a nanozyme for signal amplification.
Target ctDNA activates Cas12a, leading to the cleavage of a reporter DNA strand.
This cleavage releases the nanozyme, resulting in a measurable decrease in the TMB oxidation current.
The sensor operates effectively within a linear detection range from 1 fM to 1 nM.

Simplified

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) serves as a promising next-generation biomarker for noninvasive cancer screening and monitoring. In this work, we report an electrochemical biosensor for ctDNA detection. The sensor is constructed based on the synergistic integration of CRISPR/Cas12a and PB-Au NPs. CRISPR/Cas12a provides precise target recognition and triggers-cleavage, while the nanozyme enables strong signal amplification through its catalytic activity. Using a disposable carbon-fiber paper as the biosensing interface, we developed this sensitive detection strategy. On this interface, a PB-AuNP-labeled single-stranded DNA reporter is immobilized. In the presence of target ctDNA, activated Cas12a cleaves the reporter, releasing the nanozyme and resulting in a quantifiable decrease in the TMB oxidation current. This dual-amplification strategy achieves a detection limit of 860 aM (S/N = 3) with a linear range from 1 fM to 1 nM. Overall, this approach provides a satisfactory demonstration toward the realization of a low-cost and highly sensitive biosensor for ctDNA detection. trans

Full Text

Full text is available at the source.

View Full Text ↗

A Disposable Nanozyme Sensor for Fast and Sensitive Detection of Breast Cancer DNA in Blood

Abstract

Full Text

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

What Lands in Your Inbox Each Week:

Recent issues from the crispr gene editing brief

Abstract

Full Text

Related papers

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

What Lands in Your Inbox Each Week:

Recent issues from the crispr gene editing brief