Medley Colin D, Lin Hui, Mullins Hillary, Rogers Richard J, Tan Weihong
Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface, Department of Chemistry and Shands Cancer Center, UF Genetics Institute and McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
Analyst. 2007 Sep;132(9):885-91. doi: 10.1039/b701485f. Epub 2007 Jul 30.
In order to push forward into new areas of medical and biological research, new techniques must be developed that will enable a complex investigation into cellular processes. This involves investigating not only the different expression levels inside of a cell but also the ability to analyze how those expression levels are connected to one another. In order to accomplish this level of exploration, different types of analytes must be investigated simultaneously inside of single cells, thereby allowing their expression levels to be directly compared. To accomplish this, we have developed a method of detecting and monitoring mRNA expression levels and ion concentrations simultaneously inside of the same single cell. We have utilized this technique in studying the effects of an anti-cancer agent on human breast carcinoma cells. Using this approach, we are able to shed light onto the complex connections between genes and ions inside the cell that is not possible with any other existing technique.
为了推进医学和生物学研究的新领域，必须开发新技术，以便能够对细胞过程进行复杂的研究。这不仅涉及研究细胞内不同的表达水平，还涉及分析这些表达水平如何相互关联的能力。为了实现这种探索水平，必须在单个细胞内同时研究不同类型的分析物，从而直接比较它们的表达水平。为此，我们开发了一种在同一单个细胞内同时检测和监测mRNA表达水平和离子浓度的方法。我们已将该技术用于研究抗癌剂对人乳腺癌细胞的影响。使用这种方法，我们能够揭示细胞内基因与离子之间复杂的联系，这是任何其他现有技术都无法做到的。
