Electrochemical biosensing of microribonucleic acids using antibodies and viral proteins with affinity for ribonucleic acid duplexes

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are considered reliable molecular biomarkers being definitively linked to the development of relevant diseases including cardiovascular, diabetes, tissue injury and cancer. Therefore, accurate and sensitive quantification of miRNAs may result in correct disease diagnosis establishing these small noncoding RNA transcripts as valuable biomarkers. Electrochemical biosensing approaches appeared in the last 5 years for miRNAs determination based on the use of bioreceptors with affinity for RNA duplexes (viral proteins and antibodies) are ideal choices to overcome some limitations of conventional quantification strategies. In this review some of the main aspects of the interest in miRNA determination, disadvantages of conventional methodologies and unique features offered by the use of this type of versatile bioreceptors coupled to electrochemical transduction are discussed. The relevant characteristics of the reported approaches are critically commented and the research opportunities and future development trends outlined.