Chemically Modified DNAzyme with Enhanced Activity for Sensitive MicroRNA Imaging in Live Cells.

Jiawen Chen, Juan Wang, Jiahuan Wang, Fulong Wang, Wenyu Cheng, Siqi Chen, Rui Mo, Hanyang Yu

Abstract read

In one paragraph

Article in Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

1citing papers in PubMed

–field-weighted citation impact

1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

Chemical Modification Strategies for Therapeutic Oligonucleotides: Mechanism Compatibility, Design Trade-Offs, and Translational Barriers.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
Review

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Jiawen ChenState Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.

Juan WangState Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), ChemBioMed Interdisciplinary Research Center, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.ORCID 0000-0002-2145-869X

Jiahuan WangState Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.

Fulong WangState Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.

Wenyu ChengState Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.ORCID 0009-0003-7167-5013

Siqi ChenState Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.

Rui MoState Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.ORCID 0009-0003-0679-7903

Hanyang YuState Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.ORCID 0000-0003-1257-1735

Funding

Jiangsu Provincial Natural Science Foundation BK20230019National Natural Science Foundation of China 22277049

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

As critical regulators of gene expression, microRNAs (miRNAs) are key biomarkers and therapeutic targets in cancer. However, current methods for intracellular miRNA imaging are often limited by poor sensitivity and operational complexity. In this study, we identified a site-specifically modified DNAzyme variant, 11Bn, which exhibits up to 7-fold higher catalytic activity than the wild-type 8-17 through systematic screening. Using this variant, we constructed a DNAzyme-based sensor for miRNA-21 imaging in living cells. The sensor achieves a limit of detection of 7.89 nM, threefold lower than that of the wild-type sensor, and enables sensitive visualization of intracellular miRNA-21 without signal amplification. Moreover, it can capture dynamic changes in miRNA levels within cells, providing a versatile molecular tool for miRNA imaging and related biomedical applications.

Indexed as

DNA, CatalyticMicroRNAsMolecular ImagingBiosensing TechniquesHumansDNA, CatalyticMicroRNAsMIRN21 microRNA, humanchemically modified nucleic acidDNAzymemiRNA detection and imaging

Identifiers

PMID42075950

DOI10.3390/molecules31081271

PMCPMC13119030

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY

Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.