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Published on: January 10, 2017
Enzymatically Controlled Nanoflares for Specific Molecular Recognition and Biosensing
Ya Zhao1, Jian Zhao2, Jingfang Zhang3
1School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China.
Abstract:
In situ sensing of physiological and pathological species in cancer cells is of great importance to unravel their molecular and cellular processes. However, the biosensing with conventional probes is often limited by the undesired on-target off-tumor interference. Here, we report a novel strategy to design enzymatically controlled nanoflares for sensing and imaging molecular targets in tumor cells. The triggerable nanoflare was designed via rational engineering of structure-switching aptamers with the incorporation of an enzyme-activatable site and further conjugation on gold nanoparticles. The nanoflare sensors did not respond to target molecules in normal cells, but they could be catalytically activated by specific enzymes in cancer cells, thereby enabling cancer-specific sensing and imaging in vitro and in vivo with improved tumor specificity. Considering that diverse aptamers were selected, we expect that this strategy would facilitate the precise detection of a broad range of targets in tumors and may promote the development of smart probes for cancer diagnosis.
Insights
Researchers developed novel enzymatically controlled nanoflares for highly specific cancer cell sensing. This biosensing strategy overcomes on-target, off-tumor interference, enabling precise in vitro and in vivo cancer imaging and diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Molecular Imaging
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- In situ sensing of cancer cell species is crucial for understanding cancer processes.
- Conventional biosensors face challenges with on-target, off-tumor interference, limiting specificity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel strategy for enzymatically controlled nanoflares for specific sensing and imaging of molecular targets in tumor cells.
- To overcome the limitations of conventional probes by enhancing tumor specificity.
Main Methods:
- Designed triggerable nanoflares by engineering structure-switching aptamers with enzyme-activatable sites.
- Conjugated aptamers onto gold nanoparticles.
- Validated sensor response to specific enzymes in cancer cells versus normal cells.
Main Results:
- Nanoflare sensors showed no response in normal cells but were catalytically activated by cancer-specific enzymes.
- Achieved cancer-specific sensing and imaging both in vitro and in vivo.
- Demonstrated improved tumor specificity compared to conventional methods.
Conclusions:
- The enzymatically controlled nanoflare strategy enables precise cancer-specific sensing and imaging.
- This approach facilitates the detection of diverse tumor targets, advancing smart probe development for cancer diagnosis.
