Bioelectrochemistry of nucleic acids for early cancer diagnostics – analysis of DNA methylation and detection of microRNAs

Dysregulation of gene expression mechanisms has been observed in many tumors, making their analysis of utmost importance. These mechanisms include DNA methylation, an epigenetic mechanism in which 5-carbon of cytosine becomes methylated, leading to gene silencing, and action of short RNA molecules c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inReviews in analytical chemistry Vol. 36; no. 1; pp. 215 - 220
Main Authors Bartosik, Martin, Hrstka, Roman
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Berlin De Gruyter 01.03.2017
Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Subjects
cancer diagnostics
Carcinogens
Chemical synthesis
Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNA
DNA methylation
Electrochemistry
Gene expression
microRNA
MicroRNAs
molecular oncology
Nucleic acids
Protein synthesis
Ribonucleic acid
RNA
Tumors
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Summary:Dysregulation of gene expression mechanisms has been observed in many tumors, making their analysis of utmost importance. These mechanisms include DNA methylation, an epigenetic mechanism in which 5-carbon of cytosine becomes methylated, leading to gene silencing, and action of short RNA molecules called microRNAs, which regulate protein synthesis at post-transcriptional level by binding to mRNAs. In this review, we describe major roles of both mechanisms in carcinogenesis, offer an overview of currently used methods for their analysis, and summarize most recent advances in electrochemical-based assays and strategies. Advantages of electrochemistry, including favorable cost, time of experiment, or simple instrumentation, are highlighted, along with current challenges that need to be addressed prior to successful application into clinical routine.
ISSN:0793-0135
2191-0189
DOI:10.1515/revac-2016-0022