A Photo-Controllable DNAzyme-Based Nanosensor for miRNA Imaging in Living Cells

MircroRNA (miRNA) exhibits abnormal expression in many cancer diseases, and the detection and analysis of miRNA are significant for the early diagnosis of diseases and research on miRNA functions. In this work, we construct a UV-triggered DNAzyme (UTD) nanosensor for the early detection of miRNA in tumor cells. As the nanodevice was delivered into cells and irradiated by UV light, the controllable imaging of miRNA in living cells was achieved. This method effectively avoids false signal issues, providing a new strategy for high-spatiotemporal-resolution imaging of miRNA in living cells.