Laser selection significantly affects cell viability following single-cell nanosurgery

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Cell Biology
• Laser-Tissue Interaction

Background:

• Cell membrane disruption is a key step in various biomedical applications.
• Understanding post-ablation cell viability is critical for surgical outcomes.
• Previous studies have not systematically compared long-term viability after different laser ablation methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the long-term viability of NG108 cells following membrane disruption using different laser ablation techniques.
• To investigate the impact of laser parameters on cell apoptosis after ablation.
• To establish optimal laser parameters for preserving cell viability.

Main Methods:

• NG108 cells underwent membrane disruption via one-photon UV laser (3 ns, 337 nm) or two-photon femtosecond laser (110 fs, 770 nm).
• Cell viability was monitored for 12 hours post-ablation.
• Laser power was adjusted to achieve 50% and 90% probability of membrane disruption (PMD).

Main Results:

• Two-photon ablation resulted in significantly higher cell viability (approx. 79%) compared to one-photon UV laser ablation (approx. 36%) after 12 hours.
• Cell viability after two-photon ablation was comparable to the control group (approx. 79%).
• Increasing PMD from 50% to 90% did not affect cell viability for either ablation method.

Conclusions:

• Two-photon laser ablation is a superior method for preserving cell viability post-membrane disruption compared to one-photon UV laser ablation.
• Laser selection is a critical factor in minimizing cell apoptosis and ensuring cell survival in laser-assisted procedures.
• These findings have implications for optimizing laser-based surgical techniques to improve patient outcomes.