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Assessment of the MT1-MMP expression level of different cell lines by the naked eye

Xiangchun Zhang1,2, Qing Yuan1,3,2, Xueyun Gao4,5

  • 1CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.

Science China. Life Sciences
|March 21, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Researchers developed a simple, naked-eye detection method for membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) using gold cluster probes. This technique allows for rapid assessment of MT1-MMP levels on cells, aiding in tumor cell sorting.

Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Nanotechnology
  • Cancer Biology

Background:

  • Membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) is crucial in tumor development, invasion, and metastasis.
  • A simple and effective method for detecting MT1-MMP expression on cells is urgently needed for cancer research and diagnostics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a novel, visual detection method for MT1-MMP expression on human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cells.
  • To utilize gold (Au) cluster probes with intrinsic enzyme-like activity for MT1-MMP detection.

Main Methods:

  • Demonstration of red-emitting Au cluster probes specifically targeting MT1-MMP on SH-SY5Y cells.
  • Visual assessment of MT1-MMP levels by the naked eye without cell lysis or protein extraction.
  • Distinguishing between cell lines (SH-SY5Y, MCF-7, 16-HBE) with varying MT1-MMP expression using Au cluster probes.
  • Verification of the method's feasibility using fluorescence intensity and ICP-MS for Au quantification.

Main Results:

  • The Au cluster probes enabled naked-eye assessment of MT1-MMP expression levels on SH-SY5Y cells.
  • The method successfully differentiated between cell lines with distinct MT1-MMP expression profiles.
  • Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) confirmed the accuracy of the visual assessment.

Conclusions:

  • A rapid, convenient, and accurate visual method for assessing tumor-associated proteins like MT1-MMP has been established.
  • This naked-eye detection approach has significant implications for sorting tumor cells and advancing cancer diagnostics.
Keywords:
Au clustersMT1-MMPcatalyzetumor cells

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