We report the development and application of an antibody-based nanoprobe for in situ measurements within a single cell. The nanoprobe has an antibody-based probe targeted to benzopyrene tetrol (BPT), a metabolite of the carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and the BaP-DNA adduct. Detection of BPT is of biomedical interest since this species can potentially serve as a biomarker for the monitoring of DNA damage due to BaP exposure and for possible pre-cancer diagnoses. The measurements were performed on the rat liver epithelial Clone 9 cell line, which was used as the model cell system. Nanoprobes were inserted into individual cells, incubated five minutes to allow antigen-antibody binding, and then removed for fluorescence detection. Prior to measurements, the cells had been treated with BPT. A concentration of 9.6 +/- 0.2 x 10^-11 M has been determined for BPT in the individual cells investigated. The results demonstrate the possibility of in situ measurements inside a single cell using an antibody-based nanoprobe.

Date Published: 13 May 2002
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 4615, Biomedical Diagnostic, Guidance, and Surgical-Assist Systems IV, (13 May 2002); doi: 10.1117/12.466642

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 4615:
Biomedical Diagnostic, Guidance, and Surgical-Assist Systems IV
Tuan Vo-Dinh; David A. Benaron M.D.; Warren S. Grundfest M.D., Editor(s)