Isotopic graphene-isolated-Au-nanocrystals with cellular Raman-silent signals for cancer cell pattern recognition.

Yuxiu Zou,Xiaoxiao Hu,Fang Liu,Yixin Liao,Zhangkun Liu,Yiqin Chen,Weihong Tan,Zhuo Chen,Siqi Huang,Long Chen,Liang Zhang,Xupeng Zhu,Haijun Tu

doi:10.1039/c7sc05442d

Yuxiu Zou, Xiaoxiao Hu + Show 11 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1039/c7sc05442d

Copy DOI

Abstract

For cancer diagnosis, technologies must be capable of molecular recognition, and they must possess a built-in pattern recognition component for efficient imaging and discrimination of targeted cancer cells. Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) tags based on plasmonically active nanoparticles hold promise for accurate and efficient cancer cell recognition, owing to ultra-narrow peak and sensitive optical properties. However, a complex fingerprint spectrum increases data analysis difficulty, making it necessary to develop multicolor SERS tags with a simple fingerprint spectrum. To address this, we herein fabricated SERS-encoded nanoparticles (NPs) with stable and simple fingerprint spectrum through synthesis of isotopic cellular Raman-silent graphene-isolated-Au-nanocrystals (GIANs) and conjugation with phospholipid-polyethylene glycol-linked aptamers to target proteins overexpressed on the cancer cell surface. GIANs, which possess the properties of graphitic nanomaterials, such as super-stable optical properties and high Raman cross-section, showed enhanced SERS signals. The 2D-band Raman shift of GIAN, which located in the cellular Raman-silent region, was easily regulated through fabrication of isotopic GIANs without changing their molecular structure. Such GIAN tags demonstrated multiplexed Raman imaging capability, both in vivo and in vitro, with low background interference. Moreover, cell membrane protein (nucleolin, mucin and epithelial cell adhesion molecule)-specific, aptamer-conjugated isotopic GIANs were fabricated and feasibly applied to built-in coding for rapid imaging and pattern recognition of targeted cancer cells. Such isotopic GIAN-aptamer-encoders show high potential for efficient cancer cell identification and diagnosis.

Highlights

Multiplexed, sensitive and speci c molecular detection is highly desirable for environmental analysis, drug screening, gene and protein pro ling, as well as clinical diagnostics.[1,2,3,4] Simultaneous detection of multiple tumor-related proteins on aMolecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and College of Life Sciences, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, 410082, China
Synthesis and characterization of GIANs GIANs were made by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method.[55]
High intensity of D-band was observed which might be due to the high strain of the graphitic shells, as well as the inducing of the detects during the GIAN synthesis

Summary

Introduction

Multiplexed, sensitive and speci c molecular detection is highly desirable for environmental analysis, drug screening, gene and protein pro ling, as well as clinical diagnostics (e.g., cancer).[1,2,3,4] Simultaneous detection of multiple tumor-related proteins on aMolecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and College of Life Sciences, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, 410082, China. We fabricated SERS-encoded nanoparticles (NPs) with stable and simple fingerprint spectrum through synthesis of isotopic cellular Raman-silent graphene–isolated-Au-nanocrystals (GIANs) and conjugation with phospholipid-polyethylene glycol-linked aptamers to target proteins overexpressed on the cancer cell surface. Such GIAN tags demonstrated multiplexed Raman imaging capability, both in vivo and in vitro, with low background interference.

Results

Conclusion