Detecting telomerase activity at the single-cell level using a CRISPR-Cas12a-based chip

Lab Chip. 2024 Nov 26. doi: 10.1039/d4lc00619d. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

The intimate association between telomerase activity and cancer has driven the exploration of diverse methodologies for its precise detection. However, detecting telomerase activity at the single-cell level remains a significant challenge. Herein, we present a MOF-DNA barcode-amplified CRISPR-Cas12a strategy integrated with a single-cell microfluidic chip for ultrasensitive detection of telomerase activity. DNA-functionalized UiO-66 nanoparticles act as signal transducers, effectively converting telomerase activity into DNA activation strands, which subsequently trigger the trans-cleavage activity of CRISPR-Cas12a. This amplification-based assay could be integrated with a microfluidic chip to enable highly sensitive detection of telomerase activity at the single-cell level, offering promising advancements in early cancer diagnosis.