title: Folate-based single cell screening using surface enhanced Raman microimaging.
abstract: Recent progress in nanotechnology and its application to biomedical settings have generated great advantages in dealing with early cancer diagnosis. The identification of the specific properties of cancer cells, such as the expression of particular plasma membrane molecular receptors, has become crucial in revealing the presence and in assessing the stage of development of the disease. Here we report a single cell screening approach based on Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) microimaging. We fabricated a SERS-labelled nanovector based on the biofunctionalization of gold nanoparticles with folic acid. After treating the cells with the nanovector, we were able to distinguish three different cell populations from different cell lines (cancer HeLa and PC-3, and normal HaCaT lines), suitably chosen for their different expressions of folate binding proteins. The nanovector, indeed, binds much more efficiently on cancer cell lines than on normal ones, resulting in a higher SERS signal measured on cancer cells. These results pave the way for applications in single cell diagnostics and, potentially, in theranostics.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisica, Università Sapienza, P.le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, Italy. fabiodomenici@gmail.com and Center for Life Nanoscience, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, V.le Regina Elena 291, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fasolato
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare, Università Sapienza, P.le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giantulli
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare, Università Sapienza, P.le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Silvestri
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisica, Università Sapienza, P.le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, Italy. fabiodomenici@gmail.com.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mazzarda
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Toumia
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisica, Università Sapienza, P.le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, Italy. fabiodomenici@gmail.com.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ripanti
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica, Università Sapienza, P.le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mura
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisica, Università Sapienza, P.le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, Italy. fabiodomenici@gmail.com.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Luongo
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica, Università Sapienza, P.le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Costantini
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisica, Università Sapienza, P.le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, Italy. fabiodomenici@gmail.com and CNR-ISC UOS Roma, Sapienza Università di Roma, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bordi
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisica, Università Sapienza, P.le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, Italy. fabiodomenici@gmail.com.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Postorino
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisica, Università Sapienza, P.le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, Italy. fabiodomenici@gmail.com and Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Domenici
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D006046:Gold; D006801:Humans; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles; D059010:Single-Cell Analysis; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D006046:Gold; D005492:Folic Acid