Project description
Innovative sensors of microRNA biomarkers
MicroRNAs are key regulators of gene expression and hence are emerging as powerful biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and monitoring. However, there is a need for more sensitive methods to detect microRNAs in liquid biopsies. To address this problem, the EU-funded MoP-MiP project proposes to develop molecular programming methodologies that employ artificial DNA reaction networks as biosensors. This innovative approach is expected to aid in the detection of multiple microRNAs at the same time, portraying a particular signature that can be associated with disease. Importantly, it has the power to screen large populations and monitor in real-time the response to treatment.
Objective
MicroRNAs, a class of transcript responsible for the fine regulation of gene expression, are emerging as promising biomarkers for cancer monitoring (diagnostic, prognostic and prediction of therapy response. The concentration profiling of stably present microRNAs from liquid biopsies represents a hopeful opportunity to fight these diseases, enabling large population screening for early cancer appearance and monitoring in real-time the treatment response. However, current microRNA detection methods do not meet performances in term of sensitivity, multiplexing and practicability to bring microRNA signatures in the front line of clinical applications.
The objective of this research proposal is to develop novel approaches for microRNA profiling using concepts of molecular programming (MP). MP deals with the design of artificial DNA reaction networks capable of information-processing, including complex biosensing tasks. The team will investigate two major strategies: 1) the development of a digital and multiplex assay (Digiplex), where each microRNA is accurately quantified independently at the single molecule level using target-specific molecular program; 2) the exploration of molecular neural network (MolNNet) for concentration pattern recognition. It involves the conception of sophisticated molecular program architectures performing the integration of multiple microRNA concentrations, signal processing and reporting of the sample type (e.g. healthy or diseased).
This project is highly interdisciplinary, gathering expertise in DNA nanotechnology, microfluidics, surface chemistry and machine learning. The expected outcomes include the advance of cutting-edge microRNA quantification technology combining single-molecule amplification with a multiplex readout (up to 100 targets). On the long term, the exploration of in moleculo neural networks is foreseen to trigger a whole new field of research, providing a ground-breaking approach for molecular diagnostics.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesclassical mechanicsfluid mechanicsmicrofluidics
- engineering and technologyenvironmental biotechnologybiosensing
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsDNA
- engineering and technologynanotechnology
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncology
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Funding Scheme
ERC-STG - Starting GrantHost institution
75794 Paris
France