The Technology to see inside Cancer Cells was Invented
Scientists have developed a new imaging technology that makes it possible to see inside a living cancer cell and how it interacts with its environment.
Citing Interesting Engineering, a group of researchers led by the University of Surrey in England have tried to observe and study the content of fat (lipids) in cancer cells.
This new technology has been developed in collaboration with researchers from University College London, GSK pharmaceutical company and Yokogawa and Sciex companies.
Monitor fat content
Lipids are important components in cells and allow cancer cells to grow, multiply and metastasize.
The researchers used Yokogawa’s SS2000 single-cell system and sampled individual cancer cells from a glass culture dish. This innovative system extracts single live cells using tiny tubes, allowing for detailed examination.
The width of these tubes is barely 10 micrometers, which is half the diameter of the thinnest human hair.
In the next step, by staining these cells with a fluorescent dye, the researchers were able to examine the lipid droplets during the experiment. They then collaborated with Sykes to develop a new mass spectrometry approach and were able to break down the lipids and determine the actual structure of the cell.
This whole process led to the observation of how cancer cells evolve in response to changes in the surrounding environment.
The authors of this study, from the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at the University of Surrey, say that the problem with cancer cells is that “no two cells are alike” and this makes it more difficult to design an optimal treatment, because some cells are always more resistant to treatment than others. .
However, it has always proven difficult to study living cells in sufficient detail to truly understand their structure once they have been removed from their natural environment.
For this reason, sampling living cells under the microscope and examining their fat content one by one has always been fascinating and exciting for researchers.
The scientists also used this new approach to study lipid molecules in several cancer cells. Interestingly, the researchers identified differences in the lipid properties of different cells.
The authors of this research claim that their method paves the way for studying cancer cells with unprecedented detail. One day, it may be possible to observe how individual cancer cells interact with the cells around them; A breakthrough that will lead to providing new and more targeted treatments.
This technological method can provide valuable insight into how different types of cancer respond to treatments and help doctors understand the effect of radiation therapy on cells, especially how some cancer cells resist radiation therapy; Resistance that can lead to cancer recurrence.
These findings were published in the journal Analytical Chemistry.
