A CRISPR/Cas13a-powered catalytic electrochemical biosensor for successive and highly sensitive RNA diagnostics

Rapid and specific quantitation of a variety of RNAs with low expression levels in early-stage cancer is highly desirable but remains a challenge. Here, we present a dual signal amplification strategy consisting of the CRISPR/Cas13a system and a catalytic hairpin DNA circuit (CHDC), integrated on a reusable electrochemical biosensor for rapid and accurate detection of RNAs. Signal amplification is accomplished through the unique combination of the CRISPR/Cas13a system with CHDC, achieving a limit of detection of 50 aM within a readout time of 6 min and an overall process time of 36 min, using a measuring volume of 10 mu L. Enzymatic regeneration of the sensor surface and ratiometric correction of background signal allow up to 37 sequential RNA quantifications by square-wave voltammetry on a single biosensor chip without loss of sensitivity. The reusable biosensor platform could selectively (specificity = 0.952) and sensitively (sensitivity = 0.900) identify low expression RNA targets in human serum, distinguishing early-stage patients (n = 20) suffering from non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) from healthy subjects (n = 30) and patients with benign lung disease (n = 12). Measurement of six NSCLC-related RNAs (miR-17, miR-155, TTF-1 mRNA, miR-19b, miR-210 and EGFR mRNA) shows the ability of the electrochemical CRISPR/CHDC system to be a fast, low-cost and highly accurate tool for early cancer diagnostics.

Automated summary

The study introduces a dual signal amplification strategy using the CRISPR/Cas13a system and CHDC for rapid and accurate detection of low expression level RNAs in early-stage cancer. The reusable biosensor platform showed high specificity and sensitivity in distinguishing early-stage lung cancer patients from healthy subjects.