Point-of-Care Sensor for the Electrochemical Detection of miRNA Biomarker of Alzheimer’s Disease

The analysis of microRNA (miRNA or miR-) expression profile is very appealing in the biomedical field since it allows to explore at a molecular level the onset and progression of different human diseases. Numerous miRNAs in literature have been identified as important biomarkers of a series of neurological disorders mostly concerning Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most diffused neurodegenerative disorder having a tremendous impact on our society. So far, there is no evidence of accurate, sensitive, and non-invasive diagnostic solutions able to provide precise diagnosis and adequate therapies. The study of miRNA profiles, however, opens towards a new frontier of diagnostics by which it would be possible to screen and predict AD at an early stage, making therapies more effective against the pathological onset. Moreover, the importance of using miRNAs as biomarkers is exploited by the fact that many of them are free to circulate in the bloodstream, thus, simplifying the genetic material extraction and facilitating the sensing technology integration into PoC devices and opening to the possibility of decentralizing AD screening. In this work, we present the development and characterization of a portable electrochemical sensor for the accurate and sensitive detection of a microRNA associated with the human AD, in a Point-of-Care (PoC) format.