A Dual‐Channel Synergistic Ultrasensitive Biosensor for Tumor Liquid Biopsy

Liquid biopsy technology, which detects circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in cerebrospinal fluid, plays a crucial role in the early diagnosis and precision treatment of gliomas. However, the intrinsically low abundance and rapid clearance of ctDNA pose substantial challenges for conventional analytical techniques, such as droplet digital PCR and next-generation sequencing. Here, we introduce a label-free dual-channel synergistic detection strategy that enables quantitative analysis of ctDNA at the zeptomolar level. Leveraging a synergistic design that includes structural symmetry breaking and momentum condition regulation, the optical platform overcomes the inherent structural field confinement and enhances the effectiveness of target-contacted sensing. By integrating a DNA tetrahedron-hybridization chain reaction-gold nanoparticle cascade amplification system, the dual-channel synergistic biosensor achieves an ultra-low detection limit of 74 zM while covering a dynamic range spanning 12 orders of magnitude. Clinical validation has confirmed that this dual-channel synergistic detection strategy can accurately identify the IDH1.R132H mutation in glioma patients with as little as 1 µL of sample, and deliver crucial clinical information such as tumor size and staging. This label-free, rapid, cost-effective, and highly sensitive biosensing platform offers a powerful tool for early cancer screening, molecular diagnostics, and longitudinal disease monitoring.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Science
Published
2026-04-27
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.75443
Primary Topic
Innovative Microfluidic and Catalytic Techniques Innovation
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

A Dual‐Channel Synergistic Ultrasensitive Biosensor for Tumor Liquid Biopsy

Shirui Xu, X T Zhao, Jie Yang, Qinggang Ge et al.
Advanced Science
Innovative Microfluidic and Catalytic Techniques Innovation
article

A Dual‐Channel Synergistic Ultrasensitive Biosensor for Tumor Liquid Biopsy

Shirui Xu, X T Zhao, Jie Yang, Qinggang Ge, J N Feng, X L Ji, Sihui Wang, Bin Liu, Chao Chang, Jing Zhang, Yu Sun, Chenqing Liu, Jing Lou
article en

Abstract

Liquid biopsy technology, which detects circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in cerebrospinal fluid, plays a crucial role in the early diagnosis and precision treatment of gliomas. However, the intrinsically low abundance and rapid clearance of ctDNA pose substantial challenges for conventional analytical techniques, such as droplet digital PCR and next-generation sequencing. Here, we introduce a label-free dual-channel synergistic detection strategy that enables quantitative analysis of ctDNA at the zeptomolar level. Leveraging a synergistic design that includes structural symmetry breaking and momentum condition regulation, the optical platform overcomes the inherent structural field confinement and enhances the effectiveness of target-contacted sensing. By integrating a DNA tetrahedron-hybridization chain reaction-gold nanoparticle cascade amplification system, the dual-channel synergistic biosensor achieves an ultra-low detection limit of 74 zM while covering a dynamic range spanning 12 orders of magnitude. Clinical validation has confirmed that this dual-channel synergistic detection strategy can accurately identify the IDH1.R132H mutation in glioma patients with as little as 1 µL of sample, and deliver crucial clinical information such as tumor size and staging. This label-free, rapid, cost-effective, and highly sensitive biosensing platform offers a powerful tool for early cancer screening, molecular diagnostics, and longitudinal disease monitoring.

Advanced Science
Peking University (CN), Chinese PLA General Hospital (CN), Air Force Engineering University (CN), Shenzhen Terahertz Technology Innovation Research Institute (CN), Peking University Third Hospital (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 8%
Innovative Microfluidic and Catalytic Techniques Innovation
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.