A roadmap for rapid detection of tuberculosis through microfluidic lab-on-chip strategies

Small regulatory RNAs of Mycobacterium tuberculosis have emerged as important regulators of virulence and stress adaptation, with growing interest in their potential diagnostic biomarkers relevance. Among these, Mcr7, a PhoP-regulated sRNA that influences the twin-arginine translocation (Tat) secretion pathway by translational repression of tatC, is a well-studied regulatory molecule. Although its molecular significance in virulence control has been experimentally proven, its diagnostic utility is mainly unexplored. This review critically summarizes the current knowledge on sRNA -mediated regulation in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, with particular focus on Mcr7 and examines the feasibility of integrating sRNA detection into microfluidics Lab On Chip (LOC) platforms. In this, we discuss the current RNA-based TB diagnostic strategies which can be technically challengeable when particularly the detection is associated with small noncoding RNA and also the practical consideration for on-chip isolation and diagnosis based on antisense probe implement. Rather than presenting Mcr7 as a validated biomarker, we highlight its potential as a candidate target requiring exacting clinical evaluation. This interdisciplinary interaction aims to create a bridge between these sRNA concepts on TB disease diagnostics, with vastly emerging microfluidic technologies while outlining the limitations and validation steps necessary for Mcr7-specific diagnostics, and presents a conceptual framework for developing next-generation biosensing tools for TB with integrated microfluidic technology.