Passive and active biosensing with nucleic acid-protein hybrid nanostructures

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Nanotechnology
• Molecular Diagnostics

Background:

• Conventional diagnostic methods struggle with extensive processing, limited assay versatility, and multiplexing capacity for diverse biomarkers.
• Precision medicine requires advanced profiling of multiple biomarkers for individualized patient characterization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review synergistic advances in nucleic acid-protein hybrid nanostructures for biomarker detection.
• To highlight the potential of these hybrids in addressing challenges in current diagnostic technologies.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent synergistic advances in molecular configuration and mechanism design of nucleic acid-protein hybrid systems.
• Analysis of their application in measuring a broad spectrum of biomarkers, including nucleic acids, proteins, and novel modifications.

Main Results:

• Nucleic acid-protein hybrids demonstrate multifaceted versatility due to the programmability of nucleic acids and the functional versatility of proteins.
• These hybrids can function as passive labeling constructs or active enzymatic machines, accommodating diverse diagnostic needs.

Conclusions:

• Nucleic acid-protein hybrids are powerful tools for precision diagnostics, enabling the measurement of a wide range of biomarkers.
• Emerging trends in biomarker discovery and technology development position these hybrids for future advancements in personalized medicine.