title: Scanning electrochemical microscopy: detection of human breast cancer cells by redox environment.
abstract: Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) can be used to measure the redox activity of individual human breast cells. A chemical mediator (e.g. quinone) that rapidly crosses the membrane participates in intracellular redox reactions that are recorded on a microsecond timescale by an ultramicroelectrode positioned close to the membrane. Measurements of redox reactivity yield rate constants that are different for cancerous and non-transformed human breast cells. With non-transformed or metastatic cells, rate constants are modulated by altered expression or activity of protein kinase Calpha, an enzyme involved in the mechanism of cell metastasis. When used in two-dimensional scanning, SECM produces a spatially resolved redox map of an individual cell or field of cells and can detect individual breast cancer cells in a field of non-transformed cells. These studies identify a new technology for cancer detection and establish a framework for future analysis of malignant cells in human breast tissues and biopsies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Queens College of The City University of New York, Flushing, New York, USA. susan_rotenberg@qc.edu
authors.forename: Susan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Rotenberg
authors.forename: Michael V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Mirkin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006801:Humans; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / Q000379:methods*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051571:Protein Kinase C-alpha
chemical_list: C496628:PRKCA protein, human; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D051571:Protein Kinase C-alpha