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A SERS/fluorescence dual-mode immuno-nanoprobe for investigating two anti-diabetic drugs on EGFR expressions
Yuqi Cheng1,2, Lili Cong1, Xiaozhang Qu3
1State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, People's Republic of China.
Abstract:
A surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)/fluorescence dual-mode nanoprobe was proposed to assess anti-diabetic drug actions from the expression level of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which is a significant biomarker of breast cancers. The nanoprobe has a raspberry shape, prepared by coating a dye-doped silica nanosphere with a mass of SERS tags, which gives high gains in fluorescence imaging and SERS measurement. The in situ detection of EGFR on the cell membrane surfaces after drug actions was achieved by using this nanoprobe, and the detection results agree with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Our study suggests that rosiglitazone hydrochloride (RH) may be a potential drug for diabetic patients with breast cancer, while the anti-cancer effect of metformin hydrochloride (MH) is debatable since MH slightly promotes the EGFR expression of MCF-7 cells in this study. This sensing platform endows more feasibility for highly sensitive and accurate feedback of pesticide effects at the membrane protein level.
Insights
This study introduces a dual-mode nanoprobe for assessing anti-diabetic drug effects on epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression. Rosiglitazone hydrochloride shows potential for breast cancer patients with diabetes, while metformin
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Cancer Biomarkers
Background:
- Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a key biomarker in breast cancer.
- Assessing anti-diabetic drug effects on cancer biomarkers requires sensitive detection methods.
- Dual-mode nanoprobes offer enhanced capabilities for biological sensing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)/fluorescence dual-mode nanoprobe.
- To evaluate the impact of anti-diabetic drugs on EGFR expression levels.
- To investigate the potential of rosiglitazone hydrochloride and metformin hydrochloride in breast cancer treatment for diabetic patients.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a raspberry-shaped nanoprobe using dye-doped silica nanospheres coated with SERS tags.
- In situ detection of EGFR on cell membranes using the dual-mode nanoprobe.
- Validation of nanoprobe results against enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits.
Main Results:
- The nanoprobe demonstrated high sensitivity for fluorescence imaging and SERS measurements.
- Detection results for EGFR expression correlated well with ELISA.
- Rosiglitazone hydrochloride (RH) showed potential therapeutic benefits, while metformin hydrochloride (MH) exhibited debatable anti-cancer effects, slightly increasing EGFR expression in MCF-7 cells.
Conclusions:
- The SERS/fluorescence dual-mode nanoprobe is a feasible platform for sensitive and accurate assessment of drug effects on membrane proteins.
- RH may be a beneficial drug for diabetic patients with breast cancer.
- The anti-cancer efficacy of MH warrants further investigation due to its effect on EGFR expression.
