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Nanosensors to Detect Protease Activity In Vivo for Noninvasive Diagnostics
Published on: July 16, 2018
Strain release in organic photonic nanoparticles for protease sensing
Carlos Cordovilla1, Timothy M Swager
1Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|April 12, 2012
Summary
Researchers developed new nanoparticles that act as probes to detect cancer by sensing protease activity. This "turn-on" system uses the cleavage of peptide linkers by proteases to activate luminescence for improved cancer imaging.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Molecular Imaging
Background:
- Proteases are frequently overexpressed in various cancers.
- Proteolytic activity serves as a potential biomarker for in vivo cancer imaging.
- Current imaging techniques may lack specificity or sensitivity for early cancer detection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize novel luminescence-quenched shell cross-linked nanoparticles (SCNPs) for protease sensing.
- To develop a "turn-on" photonic nanoprobes system for sensitive and specific detection of protease activity.
- To evaluate the potential of these nanoprobes for in vivo cancer imaging applications.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of shell cross-linked nanoparticles with peptide cross-linkers.
- Incorporation of fluorescence quenchers within the nanoparticle structure.
- Demonstration of protease-mediated cleavage of peptide cross-linkers.
- Characterization of nanoparticle swelling and luminescence recovery upon proteolysis.
Main Results:
- Successfully synthesized luminescence-quenched SCNPs.
- Established a "turn-on" sensing mechanism based on protease activity.
- Observed significant luminescence recovery and particle swelling upon exposure to proteases.
- Demonstrated the potential for these nanoprobes in detecting protease activity.
Conclusions:
- The developed photonic nanoprobes offer a sensitive and specific method for protease sensing.
- The "turn-on" mechanism enables robust signal generation for improved cancer imaging.
- These nanoprobes hold promise for advancing in vivo cancer detection and diagnosis.
