IngentaConnect Optical Nanobiosensor for Monitoring an Apoptotic Signaling Proce...

Authors: Kasili, Paul M.; Vo-Dinh, Tuan

Source: Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Volume 5, Number 12, December 2005 , pp. 2057-2062(6)

Publisher: American Scientific Publishers

Abstract:

Optical nanobiosensors have enabled bioanalytical measurements to be undertaken within volumes as small as that of single biological cells. In this work, we use nanobiosensors to monitor a molecular signaling process, i.e., caspase-7 activation, following photodynamic therapy (PDT) induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells (MCF-7). PDT induces the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis which triggers cytochrome c release, activation of caspases-9, -8 and -7 and cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (Parp) protein. Caspase-7 is an important apoptosis-related cysteine protease involved in the activation cascade of caspases and in the proteolytic cleavage of Parp protein. Caspase-7 was detected and identified intracellularly using optical nanobiosensors. Our results show the detection of caspase-7 in single living MCF-cells which in essence typifies the apoptotic event induced by a PDT drug. This work, in principle, demonstrates the minimally invasive capability of optical nanobiosensors to measure important signaling molecules and events in pathways at the single cell level.

Keywords: OPTICAL NANOBIOSENSOR; SINGLE CELL ANALYSIS; APOPTOSIS

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1166/jnn.2005.426

Your trusted access to this article has expired.

The full text electronic article is available for purchase. You will be able to download the full text electronic article after payment.

$213.00 plus tax Refund Policy

Optical Nanobiosensor for Monitoring an Apoptotic Signaling Process in a Single Living Cell Following Photodynamic Therapy