Development of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy-based biosensor for the detection of nasopharyngeal cancer-related miRNA

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is mostly found in Southeast Asia and Southern China and is highly aggressive and metastatic. It is well known that radiotherapy is the main therapeutic method for NPC; however, the existence of radiotherapy resistance seriously affects treatment efficacy and leads to poor outcomes. Currently, there is still a lack of effective methods for the prediction of radiotherapy resistance. MicroRNA (miRNA), as a biomarker widely involved in the processes of cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis, is a key driver of cancer development and progression. In this study, a SERS-based biosensor was designed for the specific detection of NPC-associated miRNA (miRNA-324-3p) by embedding Raman reporter molecules into gold‑silver core-shell nanoparticles, achieving the limit of detection of 8.41 pM. The advantages of this method such as ease of operation, rapidity, and non-invasive manner, make it a promising method for the detection of NPC radiotherapy resistance.