An 'activatable' aptamer-based fluorescence probe for the detection of HepG2 cells

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Molecular Biology
• Cancer Research

Background:

• Developing sensitive and specific probes for cancer cell detection is crucial.
• Existing methods may lack the required specificity or sensitivity for early diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an activatable aptamer-based fluorescence probe (AAFP).
• To assess the probe's efficacy in detecting cancer cells and frozen cancer tissue.

Main Methods:

• Constructed AAFP using aptamer TLS11a targeting HepG2 cells and DNA sequences for a hairpin structure.
• Evaluated probe binding specificity using flow cytometry, fluorescence spectroscopy, and microscopy.
• Assessed detection in frozen cancer tissue via fluorescence microscopy.

Main Results:

• AAFP exhibited minimal fluorescence due to auto-quenching in the absence of cancer cells.
• A strong fluorescent signal was observed upon binding to cancer cells.
• The probe demonstrated specific binding to cancer cells and frozen cancer tissue.

Conclusions:

• The developed AAFP is a promising tool for sensitive and specific cancer detection.
• This probe design offers a potential advancement in diagnostic imaging and cell targeting.