Minimally Invasive Real-Time Monitoring for Rapid and Sensitive Diagnosis of Spinal Cord Injury

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Molecular Biology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Spinal cord injury (SCI) presents complex pathophysiological processes where microRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role.
• Accurate detection of disease-related miRNAs is crucial for understanding disease progression, developing treatments, and predicting prognosis.
• Traditional miRNA detection methods are insufficient for the dynamic needs of experimental research, necessitating advanced techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an electrochemical sensor for real-time in vivo monitoring of miR-21-5p expression following SCI.
• To assess the sensor's performance characteristics, including sensitivity, specificity, stability, and reproducibility.

Main Methods:

• Design and fabrication of an electrochemical sensor utilizing borosilicate glass microneedle electrodes.
• Real-time in vivo detection of miR-21-5p expression in a SCI model.
• Electrochemical analysis to establish the sensor's linear range, limit of detection (LOD), and overall performance.

Main Results:

• The sensor demonstrated a strong linear correlation between oxidation peak current and miR-21-5p concentration (0-2 fM, R² = 0.98).
• Achieved a low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.3667 fM.
• Exhibited fast, accurate, highly sensitive, specific, stable, and reproducible monitoring of miR-21-5p.

Conclusions:

• The developed borosilicate glass microneedle electrochemical sensor provides a promising tool for in vivo miR-21-5p monitoring after SCI.
• This technology holds significant potential for clinical translation, aiding in the research and management of SCI and related diseases.