Newly developed Imperial improved nanoprobes tested in zebrafish could help detect cancer more accurately and may aid in future diagnosis and treatment.
To stress tumors in the body for cancer diagnosis, doctors can use tiny optical probes (nanoprobes) that light up when they attach to tumors. These nanoprobes allow doctors to determine the location, shape and size of cancers in the body.
Most nanoprobes are fluorescent: they absorb light of a specific color, such as blue and then emit back light of a different color, such as green. However, since human body nappies can also emit light, differentiating the nanoprobe light from the backlight can be difficult and can lead to misinterpretation.
Now, researchers at Imperial College London have developed new nanoprobes, dubbed bioharmonophores and patented by Imperial, that emit light with a new type of glossy technology called second generation harmonic (SHG). ).
After testing the nanoprobes in zebrafish embryos, the researchers found that bioharmonophores modified to target cancer cells elicited clearer tumors and for longer periods than fluorescent nanoprobes. Their light is easily visible and recognizable by the light that is usually emitted, and they also attach closely to tumor cells and to healthy cells, making them more accurate in detecting edges. tumors.
Bioharmonophores may be a more effective way to detect tumors than are currently available. They specifically combine features that may be excellent for cancer and cancer treatment in clinical practice and may ultimately improve patient outcomes after further research. “
Dr. Periklis Pantazis, Principal Investigator, Imperial Bioengineering Department
The results are published in ACS Nano.
Bioharmonophores are both bioavailable and bioavailable because they are made up of peptides – the same ingredients of proteins found in the body. They are metabolized naturally in the body within 48 hours and are therefore not likely to pose a long-term health risk.
To investigate detailed tumor detection, the researchers first inserted zebrafish embryos with malignant cancer cells, which allowed tumor cells to multiply without examination. Twenty-four hours later they introduced bioharmonophores that were modified to target p32 peptide molecules found specifically in tumor cells. They then used imaging techniques at the Imperial Facility for Imaging with Light Microscopy to study how well the modified bioharmonophores detected the tumors.
They found that bioharmonophores had a unique detection sensitivity, meaning that they were attached to specific tumor cells but not to healthy ones. Nanoprobes with fluorescence capacity tend to bind less specifically, meaning they can represent healthy cells as tumor cells, or vice versa.
They also found that, unlike fluorescence, bioharmonophores did not ‘bleach’, meaning they did not lose their ability to emit light over time. Moreover, the light emitted by bioharmonophores did not diminish as with fluorescent nanoprobes, meaning that they got brighter when illuminated with more light. Thus tumors became even clearer.
Dr Pantazis said: “It is very important that tumor nanoprobes lighten cells specifically and clearly to diagnose cancer. Our pilot study suggests that high-resolution bioharmonophores could be powerful tools in detecting cancer and targeting treatment in the years to come. ”
Manufacturing bioharmonophores is inexpensive, reproducible, scalable and takes about two days at room temperature. They now need to be tested in mammals to see how well the results translate beyond zebrafish.
The researchers are also looking at how bioharmonophores could be used to direct surgical interventions during cancer surgery, as well as how they could generate light at different frequencies to help by killing tumor cells with high precision.