DNA-MnO₂ nanosheets as washing- and label-free platform for array-based differentiation of cell types

Accurate and facile differentiation of cell types is essential for accurate diagnosis and therapy of diseases. However, it remains challenging due to low specificity, requirement of sophisticated instruments, and tedious operation steps. Herein, a simple, washing- and label-free chemical tongue was constructed for differentiation of cell types. In the array-based sensing platform, DNA-ligand ensembles adsorbed on the surface of MnO₂ nanosheets were used as sensing probes. Instead of aptamers from cell-SELEX, the randomly designed DNA strands were used, offering versatile interactions with cells. The property that MnO₂ nanosheets can be degraded by intracellular glutathione makes the platform avoid the washing step. Eight types of cell lines were distinguished from each other after the data were treated with principal component analysis (PCA). In addition, a 95% of identification accuracy for the randomly selected unknown samples was achieved. The strategy shows an excellent performance not only in distinguishing cell lines but also in the identification of unknown cell samples.