Cancer cells assemble and align gold nanorods conjugated to antibodies to produce highly enhanced, sharp, and polarized surface Raman spectra: a potential cancer diagnostic marker.
Human oral cancer cells are found to assemble and align gold nanorods conjugated to anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (anti-EGFR) antibodies. Immnoconjugated gold nanorods and nanospheres were shown previously to exhibit strong Rayleigh (Mie) scattering useful for imaging. In the present letter, molecules near the nanorods on the cancer cells are found to give a Raman spectrum that is greatly enhanced (due to the high surface plasmon field of the nanorod assembly in which their extended surface plasmon fields overlap), sharp (due to a homogeneous environment), and polarized (due to anisotropic alignments). These observed properties can be used as diagnostic signatures for cancer cells.
Huang
Xiaohua
X
Laser Dynamics Laboratory, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA.
El-Sayed
Ivan H
IH
Qian
Wei
W
El-Sayed
Mostafa A
MA
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003287:Contrast Media; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods; D015336:Molecular Probe Techniques; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D043942:Nanotubes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012031:Refractometry / Q000379:methods*; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman / Q000379:methods*
D003287:Contrast Media; D006046:Gold; C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors