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Predicting nanocarriers' efficacy in 3D models with Brillouin microscopy.
Giulia Guerriero1, Alexis Viel2, Veronica Feltri1
1Laboratoire d'Automatique, de Génie des Procédés et de Génie Pharmaceutique, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5007, 43 bd 11 Novembre 1918, 69622, Villeurbanne, France. giovanna.lollo@univ-lyon1.fr.
Nanoscale
|November 22, 2023
Summary
Brillouin light scattering (BLS) offers a non-destructive, label-free method to screen nanomedicines in 3D tumor models. This technique rapidly assesses drug efficacy in multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTS), improving predictive screening for cancer therapies.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Optical Physics
Background:
- Nanomedicines offer advantages over conventional therapies due to their nanoscale properties.
- Three-dimensional multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTS) are crucial for evaluating nanomedicine performance, mimicking in vivo tumor barriers.
- Current microscopy techniques for nanomedicine evaluation in MCTS are invasive and require fluorescent labels, potentially altering drug carrier behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To implement a fast Brillouin light scattering (BLS) spectrometer for quantitative, non-destructive assessment of nanomedicine efficacy in MCTS.
- To develop a high-throughput screening platform for nanocarriers using MCTS in agarose microwells.
- To evaluate the efficacy of platinum-based polymeric nanoparticles against colorectal cancer cells within MCTS.
Main Methods:
- Development of a fast BLS spectrometer for analyzing MCTS.
- Integration of BLS microscopy with agarose microwells for high-throughput MCTS fabrication and analysis.
- Assessment of polymeric nanoparticles loaded with a platinum derivative drug in HCT-116 MCTS models.
Main Results:
- Brillouin frequency shift at the MCTS center served as a quantitative readout for drug efficacy.
- A time- and dose-dependent decrease in Brillouin frequency shift indicated reduced MCTS mechanical integrity.
- The BLS system combined with agarose microwells enabled rapid screening of 50 MCTS in under a minute.
Conclusions:
- Brillouin light scattering is a promising label-free, non-destructive technique for evaluating nanomedicine performance in 3D MCTS models.
- The developed high-throughput platform using agarose microwells significantly enhances the efficiency of nanocarrier screening.
- This approach provides a valuable tool for predictive assessment of nanomedicine efficacy in cancer research.
