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A pH-Sensing Optode for Mapping Spatiotemporal Gradients in 3D Paper-Based Cell Cultures
Rachael M Kenney1, Matthew W Boyce1, Nathan A Whitman1
1Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , 125 South Road, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290, United States.
Analytical Chemistry
|January 12, 2018
Summary
Researchers developed novel pH-sensing films for paper-based 3D cultures. These sensors map acidity in tumor models, aiding understanding of cancer drug resistance and invasiveness.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Cancer Research
- Materials Science
Background:
- Paper-based cultures offer a platform for 3D tissue models.
- Tumor microenvironments, particularly acidosis, drive cancer aggressiveness and drug resistance.
- Existing 3D culture models lack sensors for real-time extracellular small molecule quantification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate pH-sensing optodes for paper-based 3D cultures.
- To enable high-resolution mapping of pH gradients in tumor microenvironments.
- To facilitate the study of cellular responses to acidosis in 3D cancer models.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of pH-sensing films by suspending fluorescein and diphenylanthracene dyes in a polyurethane hydrogel.
- Coating the hydrogel onto a transparent film to create optodes.
- Characterization of optode properties including response time, reversibility, stability, photobleaching, and cytotoxicity.
- Measurement of pH gradients in paper-based tumor models using the developed optodes.
Main Results:
- The pH-sensing films demonstrated fast response times, reversibility, and stability in culture conditions.
- Optodes exhibited minimal photobleaching and were non-cytotoxic.
- The sensor system achieved high spatial and temporal resolution pH mapping.
- Spatiotemporal evolution of pH gradients was successfully measured in paper-based tumor models.
Conclusions:
- Novel pH-sensing optodes are suitable for paper-based 3D cultures.
- These sensors can accurately map pH gradients relevant to tumor microenvironments.
- The developed technology provides a valuable tool for studying cancer biology and drug resistance mechanisms.
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