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Multiparametric Tumor Organoid Drug Screening Using Widefield Live-Cell Imaging for Bulk and Single-Organoid Analysis
Published on: December 23, 2022
Lab-on-a-Chip for anticancer drug screening using quantum dots probe based apoptosis assay
Liang Zhao1, Jun-Tao Caot, Zeng-Qiang Wu
1State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China.
Journal of Biomedical Nanotechnology
|April 30, 2013
Summary
This study introduces a novel microfluidic platform for assessing anticancer drug effectiveness on adherent tumor cells. The new method uses quantum dots and Calcein AM to efficiently detect drug-induced cell apoptosis, improving upon traditional techniques.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Nanotechnology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Traditional methods for assessing drug-induced cell apoptosis often use photo-bleachable dyes, limiting long-term cell observation.
- Conventional assays require large cell numbers, making analysis of limited samples, like patient-derived cells, inefficient.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a microfluidic platform for efficient anticancer drug screening using dual apoptotic probes.
- To overcome limitations of traditional cytotoxicity assays, enabling long-term observation and analysis of fewer cells.
Main Methods:
- Development of a microfluidic device for adherent cell cytotoxicity assessment.
- Utilized Annexin V conjugated quantum dots and Calcein AM as dual apoptotic probes for detecting cell apoptosis.
- Evaluated the cytotoxic effects of model anti-cancer drugs on various adherent tumor cell lines.
Main Results:
- The microfluidic platform successfully assessed drug-induced cell apoptosis in adherent tumor cells.
- Camptothecin demonstrated a potent cytotoxic effect on the tested adherent tumor cells.
- MCF-7 cells showed a degree of resistance to the evaluated anti-tumor drugs.
Conclusions:
- The developed microfluidic platform offers an efficient and sensitive method for anticancer drug screening.
- Bio-functional quantum dot probes in a microfluidic device enable novel cytotoxicity assays for evaluating anti-cancer drugs on diverse tumor cell lines.

