Biosensors as transformative tools for detection of lung cancer based on non-coding RNA

Abstract

Lung cancer remains one of the most prevalent and lethal malignancies worldwide, resulting in approximately 1.5 million deaths annually. Currently, more than 75% of cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage due to the lack of effective early detection methods. Although several conventional diagnostic techniques are available, many exhibits limited sensitivity for early-stage detection and are often associated with high costs and invasiveness. Therefore, there is an urgent need for more accurate, cost-effective, and rapid approaches for early screening. Numerous lung cancer-associated non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been extensively investigated as promising biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic monitoring. To leverage these biomarkers, various nanomaterial-enhanced biosensors—utilizing electrochemical, optical, and electromechanical platforms—have been developed for the rapid and selective detection of ncRNAs. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in nanobiosensor technologies for detecting lung cancer-associated ncRNAs, highlighting their substantial diagnostic potential while critically addressing the technical bottlenecks, reproducibility challenges, and regulatory hurdles that must be overcome for their successful clinical translation.