Potential-Resolved Electrochemiluminescence Nanoprobes for Visual Apoptosis Evaluation at Single-Cell Level

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is crucial in development and disease.
• Changes in cell surface markers like epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and phosphatidylserine (PS) are indicators of apoptosis.
• Existing diagnostic methods often lack the sensitivity or specificity for single-cell analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a potential-resolved electrochemiluminescence (ECL) method for precise apoptosis diagnosis at the single-cell level.
• To simultaneously detect and quantify two key apoptosis biomarkers: EGFR and PS.
• To enable visualization and analysis of apoptosis rates in normal and cancer cell populations.

Main Methods:

• Functionalization of Au@L012 and g-C3N4 nanoparticles with epidermal growth factor (EGF) and a PS-binding peptide (PSBP).
• Utilizing potential-resolved ECL to generate distinct signals for EGFR and PS detection.
• Employing a custom-built ECL microscope for simultaneous imaging and analysis of individual cells.

Main Results:

• The developed ECL method successfully distinguished between apoptotic and non-apoptotic cells.
• The relative changes in ECL signals from g-C3N4 and Au@L012 probes correlated with the degree of apoptosis.
• Simultaneous evaluation of EGFR and PS provided a more accurate apoptosis assessment compared to single-marker detection.

Conclusions:

• The potential-resolved ECL strategy offers a robust and sensitive approach for single-cell apoptosis diagnosis.
• This method allows for the visualization of apoptosis rates and the study of tumor markers at the cellular level.
• The findings advance the application of ECL imaging in disease diagnosis and biological research.