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Computed Tomography-guided Time-domain Diffuse Fluorescence Tomography in Small Animals for Localization of Cancer Biomarkers
Published on: July 17, 2012
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An information processing triple input fluorescent probe for melanoma cancer
Imran Verirsen1, Nezahat Gokce Ozsamur2, Emin Sahin2
1Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Department of Biotechnology, Konya Food and Agriculture University, Konya, Turkey.
Analytica Chimica Acta
|February 28, 2025
Summary
A novel fluorescent sensor detects melanoma by responding to tyrosinase, glutathione, and carboxylesterase. This multi-analyte approach enables discrimination of distinct pathological cellular states, including drug-resistant melanoma.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Chemical Biology
- Molecular Imaging
Background:
- Multi-analyte fluorescent sensors offer potential for selective imaging of malignant tissues.
- Glutathione (GSH) is a cancer biomarker, while tyrosinase enzyme activity is altered in melanoma and neurological diseases.
- Development of molecular tools for sensing diverse cellular states is ongoing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel reconfigurable pyridinium-functionalized distyryl-BODIPY (P2) as a sensor for tyrosinase.
- To investigate the synergistic effects of glutathione and carboxylesterase for discriminating pathological cellular states.
- To establish a molecular logic gate for multi-analyte sensing.
Main Methods:
- Synthesized a pyridinium-functionalized distyryl-BODIPY (P2) sensor.
- Attached an acetyl-masked tyrosinase-responsive substrate to the sensor.
- Utilized ester hydrolysis by carboxylesterase and tyrosinase-mediated oxidation, followed by glutathione interaction, to generate a fluorescent signal (P1).
- Employed fluorescence spectroscopy to analyze sensor response in aqueous solutions and melanoma cells.
Main Results:
- The sensor P2, upon enzymatic and GSH action, shifted to P1 with an 81 nm hypsochromic shift.
- A molecular AND logic gate was constructed, enabling multi-analyte sensing for melanoma.
- Distinct cellular phenotypes, including drug-resistant melanoma, were diagnosed by setting fluorescence thresholds.
- Tyrosinase-expressing B16-F10 melanoma cells showed significantly increased fluorescence compared to breast cancer cells.
Conclusions:
- This study presents the first triple-input Near-IR fluorescent sensor for melanoma with potential for discriminating pathological status.
- The sensor exhibits versatile chemistry and good solubility in aqueous media.
- The modular structure serves as a scaffold for developing information-processing molecular sensors for enzymes and disease-associated analytes.

