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Dual-responsive near-infrared turn-on fluorescent probe for cancer stem cell-specific visualization
Koji Miki1, Masahiro Oe1, Kanae Suzuki1
1Department of Energy and Hydrocarbon Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan. kojimiki@scl.kyoto-u.ac.jp.
Journal of Materials Chemistry. B
|June 24, 2024
Summary
A new fluorescent probe, CHO_βgal, distinguishes cancer stem cells (CSCs) from normal stem cells (NSCs) by responding to both ALDH1A1 and β-galactosidase. This dual-response system enables clear visualization of CSCs in cancer tissues, improving diagnostic accuracy.
Area of Science:
- Biomarker discovery
- Stem cell research
- Cancer diagnostics
Background:
- Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1 (ALDH1A1) is a key biomarker for both cancer stem cells (CSCs) and normal somatic stem cells (NSCs).
- Existing ALDH1A1 fluorescent probes struggle to differentiate CSCs from NSCs, leading to diagnostic challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel dual-responsive fluorescent probe for precise visualization and discrimination of CSCs from NSCs.
- To enhance the accuracy of cancer stem cell detection in various biological samples.
Main Methods:
- Design and synthesis of an AND-type dual-responsive fluorescent probe (CHO_βgal) activated by ALDH1A1 and β-galactosidase.
- Application of the probe in microscopy for visualizing CSCs in cancer cells and tissues.
- Comparative analysis with a single-input ALDH1A1 probe using ex vivo and tissue slice staining.
Main Results:
- The CHO_βgal probe successfully visualized CSCs while NSCs remained non-emissive due to its AND-type dual responsiveness.
- Distinguished CSC-positive metastasis model lungs from normal lungs, outperforming single-input probes that showed false positives.
- Clearly identified peripheral region-specific localization of CSCs in tissue slices, even with adjacent normal tissues.
Conclusions:
- The dual-responsive CHO_βgal probe offers superior specificity for visualizing cancer stem cells.
- This probe is a promising tool for in vitro research and practical tissue staining in cancer diagnosis.
- It significantly contributes to assessing cancer malignancy by enabling accurate CSC identification.
