A self-powered 3D DNA walker with programmability and signal-amplification for illuminating microRNA in living cells

Based on the structural programmability and spatial addressability of DNA nanodevices, a target-triggered, enzyme-free 3D DNA walker, comprising of hairpin DNA assembled gold nanoparticles with a local catalytic hairpin assembly reaction, was developed for the highly sensitive detection of intracellular tumor-associated microRNAs.