DNAzyme biosensors: Frontiers in design, clinical applications, performance optimization, and future perspectives

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Molecular Biology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• DNAzymes are catalytic DNA with enzyme-like properties, offering programmability and stability.
• Their characteristics make them suitable for biosensor development, providing specificity and signal amplification.
• Next-generation biosensors benefit from DNAzymes' design flexibility and cost-effective production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review DNAzyme biosensors, covering design principles, classifications, and applications.
• To explore advanced diagnostic uses, including biomarker detection, pathogen identification, and ion monitoring.
• To discuss strategies for optimizing DNAzyme biosensor performance and future technological outlook.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of fundamental design principles: target recognition, catalytic activation, and signal transduction.
• Summarization of advanced diagnostic applications: tumor biomarker detection, pathogen identification, intracellular ion monitoring.
• Review of performance optimization strategies: signal amplification, stability enhancement, anti-interference designs.

Main Results:

• DNAzyme biosensors demonstrate high specificity and sensitivity for detecting various targets.
• Applications span from in vitro diagnostics to live-cell imaging and in vivo monitoring.
• Optimization strategies significantly enhance biosensor performance and reliability.

Conclusions:

• DNAzyme biosensors represent a powerful technology for advanced diagnostics and precision medicine.
• Future directions include intelligent, cell-integrated systems for on-site testing and personalized healthcare.
• DNAzyme technology holds transformative potential for sensitive, specific, and cost-effective biological detection.