LAUSR

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can be used as biomarkers for the diagnosis and therapy of cancers. However, their low abundance and the complex environment in biological samples hinder miRNA detection. A dual amplification strategy based on the bio-barcode technique (BCA) and auto-cycling primer extension (APE) is proposed to detect miRNA targets in complex biological samples. The strategy shows a good sensitivity for miRNA-19a with a detection limit of 50 fM, and can effectively distinguish other similar miRNAs. It provides a new idea to combine nanoparticle-based amplification with nucleic acid-based amplification together for the sensitive detection of nucleic acid targets.