SERSµDrop: A Platform to Study Cell-Cell Communication via SERS Imaging.

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Cell Biology
• Cancer Research

Background:

• Cell-cell communication is vital in cancer progression and therapeutic resistance.
• Extracellular vesicles (EVs) mediate intercellular communication by transferring biomolecules.
• Existing methods lack the resolution to study EV exchange at the single-cell level.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce SERSµDrop, a novel microfluidic platform for high-resolution monitoring of intercellular communication.
• To enable real-time tracking of EV transfer between different cell types.
• To overcome limitations of current techniques in studying EV-mediated signaling.

Main Methods:

• Co-encapsulation of MCF-7 breast cancer cells and human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) in microdroplets.
• Labeling cells with gold nanostars (AuNSt) functionalized with specific Raman reporters and surface coatings.
• Utilizing surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for high-resolution spatial mapping of EV transfer.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated directional transfer of AuNSt@AB-tagged EVs from MCF-7 cells to HDFs over 4 days.
• Confirmed limited exocytic behavior of AuNSt@PA within HDFs.
• Validated the platform's ability to maintain cell viability and microdroplet integrity.

Conclusions:

• SERSµDrop provides unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution for studying EV-mediated cell-cell communication.
• The platform supports high-throughput, multiplexed detection of EV exchange in a confined environment.
• This technology offers a powerful tool for advancing cancer research and understanding intercellular signaling.