Cellular Real-time Monitoring Based On Multi-functional Nano Probe

Nano-materials have the extraordinary advantage in terms of small size,stability and reproducibility of the surface functionalization,having demonstrated their appropriateness for chemical analysis,and medical applications.Medical applications of nanotechnology typically focus on biosensors and drug delivery.Here,we combine nanotechnology and chemical synthesis to create a novel thermo-sensitive nanohybrid(CD-MSN@UP38)particle for intracellular temperature sensing and temperature-controlled drug release,which could lead to new cancer diagnosis techniques and therapies.The nanohybrid particles were first developed as sensitive thermometers by loading them with polarity-sensitive dye(BBD).The presented thermometer possessed high temporal resolution and temperature resolution down to 0.2?;combined with fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy,the particles are well suited for mapping and sensing temperature distributions at the single-cell level.More interestingly,the nanohybrid particles can be further applied as a smart temperature-controlled drug delivery system for cancer therapy,through simply being triggered by the thermal effects of the cancer cells themselves.Our drug delivery and therapy system demonstrates highly efficient therapeutics with minimal side effect.In term of the applications for bio-sensing,mesenchymal stem cells(hMSCs)can be differentiated into neural stem cells(NSCs),implying that differentiated hMSCs have potential use in cell replacement therapy for central nervous system disorders.Telomerase,which can catalyze the addition of the telomeric repeats(TTAGGG)n onto the ends of the human chromosomes,is found overexpressed in stem cells.However,whether the telomerase activity plays an important role in maintenance of the biological characteristic of stem cells during proliferation as well as keeping the differential potential is still unknown.Reported herein is a strategy for in situ self-imaging of telomerase activity of stem cells during the proliferation and differential process through their spontaneous ability to bio-synthesize silver nanoclusters(AgNCs)with the endogenous glutathione(GSH)following their treatment with silver nitrate and DNA of cytosine bases.The practicality of the proposed approach may offer a new clue to a better understanding of the expansion and differential process of stem cells.