Single-walled carbon nanotubes as specific targeting and Raman spectroscopic agents for detection and discrimination of single human breast cancer cells.

Abstract

Raman active nano-complex agents based on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are prepared and used for the swift and specific detection of breast cancer cells. SWCNTs are functionalized to bond covalently with the anti-epithelial cell adhesion molecule (anti-EpCAM) antibody, which is specific to the highly expressed EpCAM antigen on the surface of breast cancer cells (MCF-7), but not on normal cells. The Raman nano-complexes demonstrate excellent ability to detect in vitro single breast cancer cells (MCF-7) and discriminate between them and normal fibroblast cells during the first 30 min of the targeting process. Raman linearity scanning is collected from a monolayer cell mixture, including both cancer cells and normal cells incubated with anti-EpCAM-SWCNTs, using a 633-nm laser excitation. The results shows that the Raman signal collected from targeted MCF-7 cells is extremely high, whereas there is little signal from the normal cells.

• Authors: Zeid A Nima, Meena W Mahmood, Alokita Karmakar, Thikra Mustafa, Shawn Bourdo, Yang Xu, Alexandru S Biris
• Journal: Journal of biomedical optics (J Biomed Opt) Vol. 18 Issue 5 Pg. 55003 (May 2013) ISSN: 1560-2281 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 23694992 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Antigens, Neoplasm
• Biomarkers, Tumor
• Cell Adhesion Molecules
• Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule
• Nanotubes, Carbon

Topics

• Antigens, Neoplasm (chemistry, metabolism)
• Biomarkers, Tumor (chemistry, metabolism)
• Breast Neoplasms (chemistry, metabolism)
• Cell Adhesion Molecules (chemistry, metabolism)
• Cell Line
• Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule
• Female
• Humans
• Immunohistochemistry
• MCF-7 Cells
• Nanotubes, Carbon (chemistry)
• Single-Cell Analysis (methods)
• Spectrum Analysis, Raman (methods)