A chemically modified DNAzyme-based electrochemical sensor for binary and highly sensitive detection of reactive oxygen species

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a critical role in regulating various physiological processes. To gain a comprehensive understanding of their distinct functions in different physiological events, it is imperative to detect binary ROS simultaneously. However, the development of the sensing method capable of binary ROS detection remains a significant challenge. In this study, we address this challenge by integrating chemically modified DNAzyme probes with a functionalized metal-organic framework (MOF) to create an efficient electrochemical sensing platform for the binary detection of ROS. ROS targets would activate the DNAzyme cleavage activity by removing the phenylboronate (BO) and phosphorothioate (PS) modifications, leading to the controlled release of doxorubicin (DOX) and methylene blue (MB) enclosed within MOF nanocomposites. This process generates two distinct voltammetric current peaks, with their potentials and intensities reflecting the identity and concentration of the ROS targets. The sensor demonstrates simultaneous detection of multiple ROS (H₂O₂ and HClO) produced by cancer cells with high sensitivity across a broad linear range of 1 to 200 nM and a low detection limit in the sub-nanomolar range. The design strategies behind the developed ROS sensing system could also be exploited to create other biosensors with highly sensitive and binary detection to promote clinical research and revolutionize disease diagnostics.