A Two-Stage Dissociation System for Multilayer Imaging of Cancer Biomarker-Synergic Networks in Single Cells

A multicoloured cancer probe

28 November 2017

A new multicoloured molecular probe can simultaneously monitor pairs of cancer biomarkers in single cells, allowing researchers to investigate how they interact and connect.

Gold nanoparticles coated with a shell of polydopamine are at the heart of the probes, developed by a team at the East China University of Science and Technology. Different-coloured fluorescent markers coupled with molecular sensors for specific cancer biomarkers are attached to the dopamine anchors. The dopamine-coated gold inhibits the markers’ fluorescence until the sensor is near the target biomarker. At that point, the sensor attaches to the biomarker and separates from the dopamine-coated gold nanoparticle, freeing it to fluoresce.

The team tested the probes in human breast cancer cells. By measuring the fluorescence of the colours, they could simultaneously monitor biomarkers at different locations in breast cancer cells, as well as their response to drug treatments.

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References

1. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 56, 4802-4805 (2017). doi: 10.1002/anie.201702415