Open AccessSelf-Assembling Complexes of Quantum Dots and scFv Antibodies for Cancer Cell Targeting and Imaging
Author(s) -
Tatiana A. Zdobnova,
Oleg A. Stremovskiy,
Е. Н. Лебеденко,
Sergey M. Deyev
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0048248
Subject(s) - quantum dot , fluorescence , antibody , cancer cell , chemistry , biophysics , nanotechnology , cancer , materials science , biology , physics , genetics , optics
Semiconductor quantum dots represent a novel class of fluorophores with unique physical and chemical properties which could enable a remarkable broadening of the current applications of fluorescent imaging and optical diagnostics. Complexes of quantum dots and antibodies are promising visualising agents for fluorescent detection of selective biomarkers overexpressed in tumor tissues. Here we describe the construction of self-assembling fluorescent complexes of quantum dots and anti-HER1 or anti-HER2/neu scFv antibodies and their interactions with cultured tumor cells. A binding strategy based on a very specific non-covalent interaction between two proteins, barnase and barstar, was used to connect quantum dots and the targeting antibodies. Such a strategy allows combining the targeting and visualization functions simply by varying the corresponding modules of the fluorescent complex.