Rapid on-chip apoptosis assay on human carcinoma cells based on annexin-V/quantum dot probes.
Despite all the efforts made over years to study the cancer expression and the metastasis event, there is not a clear understanding of its origins and effective treatment. Therefore, more specialized and rapid techniques are required for studying cell behaviour under different drug-based treatments. Here we present a quantum dot signalling-based cell assay carried out in a segmental microfluidic device that allows studying the effect of anti-cancer drugs in cultured cell lines by monitoring phosphatidylserine translocation that occurs in early apoptosis. The developed platform combines the automatic generation of a drug gradient concentration, allowing exposure of cancer cells to different doses, and the immunolabeling of the apoptotic cells using quantum dot reporters. Thereby a complete cell-based assay for efficient drug screening is performed showing a clear correlation between drug dose and amount of cells undergoing apoptosis.
Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), CSIC and The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Biologia Cel·lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Campus UAB-Facultat de Biociències, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain.
Helena
H
Montón
Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), CSIC and The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain.
Mariana
M
Medina-Sánchez
Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), CSIC and The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain.
Joan Antoni
JA
Soler
Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), CSIC and The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain.
Andrzej
A
Chałupniak
Departament de Biologia Cel·lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Campus UAB-Facultat de Biociències, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: carme.nogues@uab.cat.
Carme
C
Nogués
Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), CSIC and The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: arben.merkoci@icn2.cat.
Arben
A
Merkoçi
D017304:Annexin A5 / Q000737:chemistry; D017209:Apoptosis; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D056656:Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; D010718:Phosphatidylserines / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D045663:Quantum Dots / Q000737:chemistry
D017304:Annexin A5; D010718:Phosphatidylserines
Apoptosis; Drug screening; Modular microfluidics; Optical detection; Quantum dots