Multi-Color Enhanced Fluorescence Imaging of a Breast Cancer Cell with A Hole-Arrayed Plasmonic Chip.

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Cell Biology
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells express key membrane proteins like EpCAM and EGFR.
• Accurate detection of these proteins is crucial for cancer research and diagnostics.
• Existing imaging techniques may have limitations in sensitivity and resolution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the use of a novel plasmonic chip for enhanced multi-color fluorescence imaging of breast cancer cells.
• To evaluate the fluorescence enhancement of specific membrane proteins, epithelial cell adhesion molecules (EpCAMs) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), on the plasmonic chip.
• To assess the impact of the chip's two-dimensional hole-array structure on fluorescence intensity and imaging quality.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a plasmonic chip with a two-dimensional hole-array structure for imaging MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.
• Employed epifluorescence microscopy for observation.
• Used Alexa®488-labeled EGFR antibody and allophycocyanin (APC)-labeled EpCAM antibody for fluorescent detection of target membrane proteins.

Main Results:

• Achieved significant fluorescence enhancement for both Alexa®488-EGFR (13 ± 2 times) and APC-EpCAM (12 ± 2 times) on the plasmonic chip.
• Demonstrated consistency between the excited/emission wavelengths of fluorescent agents and the plasmon resonance wavelengths of the chip.
• Observed improved multi-color fluorescence images of breast cancer cells due to the hole-arrayed plasmonic chip.

Conclusions:

• The developed hole-arrayed plasmonic chip effectively enhances multi-color fluorescence imaging of breast cancer cells.
• This technology offers a promising approach for sensitive and high-resolution detection of membrane proteins like EpCAM and EGFR.
• The findings suggest potential applications in advanced cancer diagnostics and research.