title: In situ surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy exploring molecular changes of drug-treated cancer cell nucleus.
abstract: Investigating the molecular changes of cancer cell nucleus with drugs treatment is crucial for the design of new anticancer drugs, the development of novel diagnostic strategies, and the advancement of cancer therapy efficiency. In order to better understand the action effects of drugs, accurate location and in situ acquisition of the molecular information of the cell nuclei are necessary. In this work, we report a microspectroscopic technique called dark-field and fluorescence coimaging assisted surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy, combined with nuclear targeting nanoprobes, to in situ study Soma Gastric Cancer (SGC-7901) cell nuclei treated with two model drugs, e.g., DNA binder (Hoechst33342) and anticancer drug (doxorubicin, Dox) via spectral analysis at the molecular level. Nuclear targeting nanoprobes with an assembly structure of thiol-modified polyethylene glycol polymers (PEG) and nuclear localizing signal peptides (NLS) around gold nanorods (AuNRs) were prepared to achieve the amplified SERS signals of biomolecules in the cell nuclei. With the assistance of dark field/fluorescence imaging with simultaneous location, in situ SERS spectra in one cell nucleus were measured and analyzed to disclose the effects of Hoechst33342 and Dox on main biomolecules in the cell nuclei. The experimental results show that this method possesses great potential to investigate the targets of new anticancer drugs and the real-time monitoring of the dynamic changes of cells caused by exogenous molecules.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Jilin University , Changchun 130012, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Lijia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Dianshuai
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Hailong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Haibo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shuping
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yixin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ying-Wei
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Chongyang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Weiqing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005453:Fluorescence; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013499:Surface Properties; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001562:Benzimidazoles; D006046:Gold; D004317:Doxorubicin; C017807:bisbenzimide ethoxide trihydrochloride