PER-Based DNA Cube Captor for High Specific and Efficient SERS Detection of HPV

Early detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) is crucial for the treatment and prevention of some specific skin diseases and related cancers such as cervical cancer, anal cancer, penile cancer, etc. Herein, we designed a primer exchange reaction (<b>P</b>ER)-based <b>D</b>NA <b>c</b>ube <b>c</b>aptor (<b>PDCC</b>) to capture Raman molecular labeled DNA for high specificity and efficient detection of HPV. First, we converted the target into large amounts of single-stranded DNA based on PER. Second, the single-stranded DNA initiated catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA) reaction, facilitating the capture of Raman molecular labeled DNA onto the DNA cube nanostructures (DCNs). Then the DCNs were subsequently immobilized on gold hexagonal plates (GHPs) for Raman detection. Of note, the identification of the target by PER exhibits high specificity, as the PER reaction occurs exclusively when the target perfectly matches the PER hairpin. Moreover, the CHA reaction can occur on four sides of this structure, and the reaction efficiency is enhanced by the proximity effect. This work developed a device named PDCC that captured Raman molecular labeled DNA, which can realize highly sensitive detection of HPV-58. This DNA cube captor has a high reaction efficiency and specificity for HPV, which plays an indispensable role in diagnosis and treatment of related cancers.