The present work presents the synthesis, characterization and evaluation of the biocompatibility and ability to dissolve and chemically protect the anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOXO) of two polyethylene oxide-polystyrene oxide triblock copolymers, EO33SO13EO33 and EO38SO10EO38, where EO and SO denote the ethylene oxide and styrene oxide blocks, respectively. Block copolymer length and SO/EO ratio were selected with the objective of ensuring an optimal compromise between chain solubility, micelle formation ability and core size for enhanced drug solubilization. The temporal stability of the drug-loaded micelles and drug release profile were also analyzed as well as their efficacy as an antitumoral polymeric formulation in vitro by using a multidrug resistant ovarian tumor cell line (NCI-ADR-RES), with the special aim of analyzing the possible capability of both copolymers as potential P-glycoprotein efflux (P-gp) pump inhibitors to enhance DOXO accumulation in this cell line.

Luminescence nanocrystals or quantum dots give grate potential for bio-analysis as well as optoelectronics. Here we report an effective and non-expensive fabrication method of silicon carbide nanocrystals, with diameter below 10 nm, based on electroless wet chemical etching. Our samples show strong violet-blue emission in the 410-450 nm region depending on the used solvents and particle size. Raman and infrared measurements suggest the varied nature of surfaces of silicon carbide nanocrystals which elucidate the behavior of the silicon carbide colloid solvents and also give opportunity to modify the surface easily for specific biological, medical or other application.

Position-dependent force-detected NMR measurements on a 25x15x7 μm3 single crystal of ammonium sulfate (NH4)2SO4 were performed at room temperature in a sample-on-oscillator configuration. Force signals were detected with 12 μm resolution in a one-dimensional scan. Measurements of NMR relaxation times T2* = 1.5 ± 0.3 μs, T2 = 44 ± 2 μs, and T1 = 5.6 ± 0.7 s were obtained in an 8-T magnetic field, revealing an unexpected frequency-dependent fluctuation spectrum at room temperature.

We reported a mammalian cell-imaging paradigm to study the cellular response to single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). Chinese Hamster Ovarian (CHO) cells were exposed to SWCNTs resuspended in physiologically compatible buffer (phosphate buffered saline, PBS), at concentrations ranging from 0 to 50 μg/mL. Upon exposure, we optically imaged the cells in order to (1) visualize the accumulation SWCNTs in cells in real-time; (2) qualitatively and quantitatively assess the morphological changes associated with cellular stress in the presence of SWCNTs; and (3) serially quantify cell survival with highly sensitive bioluminescence-based imaging. Our results showed that the cell survival obtained from optical imaging agreed with that from CellTiter-Glo (CTG) luminescence viability assay. Acute compromise in the CHO cell’s survival rate was observed under high concentrations of SWCNT exposure. The cellular response as a function of SWCNT concentrations, and exposure time was further investigated.

The ability to design a diagnostics platform that can achieve cellular level as well as molecular level classification of targeted biomarkers may be critical toward understanding the fundamental basis of disease initiation and proliferation in breast cancer. In this context, we have looked at breast cancer diagnostics and present the design of a biomedical microdevice for evaluating and classifying cellular samples based on their risk towards metastasis. Primary breast cancer tumors have been shown to contain heterogeneous populations of neoplastic cells. Recent studies have demonstrated that subpopulations of these cells can cooperate in the initiation of collective invasion and metastasis. The role of the sensor we present is to identify the type of cells as non-invasive/”follower” cells that do not result in metastasis or invasive “leader” cells that are thought to be responsible for metastasis, from breast cancer cell lysate samples, thus enabling more selective classification of samples, with the eventual goal of early diagnosis. The device is an electrical immunoassay that incorporates the PDGF- receptor to screen the cell lysate samples for the PGDF binding protein that is preferentially expressed in the invasive, “leader” cells. The sensor comprises of alumina nanochannel arrays integrated on to a microelectronic platform operating on the principle of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to quantify the PGDF protein from the cell lysates.

In this work, we have developed a multifunctional theranostic nanoplatform consisting of a poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) biodegradable matrix covered by a gold shell, which provides the system with NIR absorption ability and subsequent generation of hyperthermia effect. Inside the PLGA nanoparticle, the chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin (DOXO) and the NIR dye isocyanine green (ICG) were loaded. The characterization of the particles, their in vitro cytotocixity combining NIR light irradiation and chemotherapy and their preliminary in vivo biodistribution is analyzed.

We report on a multiplexed, ratiometric method that can confidently distinguish between cancerous and non-cancerous epithelial prostate cells in vitro, as demonstrated by a double blind experiment. The technique is based on bright SERRS biotags (SBTs) infused with unique Raman reporter molecules, and carrying cell-specific peptides. Two sets of SERRS biotags were used. One targets the neuropilin-1 (NRP) receptors of cancer cells through the RPARPAR peptide. The other functions as a positive control (PC) and binds to both non-cancerous and cancer cells through the HIV derived TAT peptide. Averaging the SERRS signal over a given cell yielded an NRP/PC ratio from which a robust quantitative measure of the overexpression of the NRP-1 by the cancer cell line was extracted. The use of a local, on-cell reference produces quantitative, statistically robust measures of overexpression independent of such sources of uncertainty such as variations in the location of the focal plane, the local cell concentration and turbidity.