Title: Biomedical applications of metal-chelating polymers and lanthanide nanoparticles

Abstract: One of the goals of modern bioanalytical chemistry is the simultaneous (multiplexed) detection of multiple biomarkers in individual cells. A biomarker can be broadly defined as a characteristic protein, gene, or small molecule that can be objectively measured and evaluated as an indicator of normal biological or pathogenic processes. The classical approach to high throughput biomarker detection employs flow cytometry, in which antibodies (Abs) are labeled with fluorescent dyes. Here spectral overlap limits the number of dyes that can be detected simultaneously and restricts the number of biomarkers per cell that can be detected.

Mass cytometry (MC) is a much newer technique in which various Abs are labeled with different heavy metal isotopes. Cells are injected into the plasma torch of an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer with time of flight detection. Here signal intensity increases linearly with the number of copies of an isotope carried by each Ab. Our contribution to this technique is the synthesis of metal-chelating polymers (MCPs) with 20 to 50 chelators for carrying a metal ion and functionality at one end for covalent attachment to the Ab. To read more, please visit our website below.