Correlation of cell mechanics with the resistance to malignant transformation in naked mole rat fibroblasts.

Naked mole rats (NMRs) demonstrate exceptional longevity and resistance to cancer. Using a biochemical approach, it was previously shown that the treatment of mouse fibroblast cells with RasV12 oncogene and SV40 Large T antigen (viral oncoprotein) led to malignant transformations of cells. In contrast, NMR fibroblasts were resistant to malignant transformations upon this treatment.

Ultrabright fluorescent nanothermometers.

Here we report on the first ultrabright fluorescent nanothermometers, ∼50 nm-size particles, capable of measuring temperature in 3D and down to the nanoscale. The temperature is measured through the recording of the ratio of fluorescence intensities of fluorescent dyes encapsulated inside the nanochannels of the silica matrix of each nanothermometer. The brightness of each particle excited at 488 nm is equivalent to the fluorescence coming from 150 molecules of rhodamine 6G and 1700 molecules of rhodamine B dyes.

Difference in biophysical properties of cancer-initiating cells in melanoma mutated zebrafish.

Despite sharing oncogenetic mutations, only a small number of cells within a given tissue will undergo malignant transformation. Biochemical and physical factors responsible for this cancer-initiation process are not well understood. Here we study biophysical differences of pre-melanoma and melanoma cells in a BRAF/P53 zebrafish model.

Noninvasive diagnostic imaging using machine-learning analysis of nanoresolution images of cell surfaces: Detection of bladder cancer.

We report an approach in diagnostic imaging based on nanoscale-resolution scanning of surfaces of cells collected from body fluids using a recent modality of atomic force microscopy (AFM), subresonance tapping, and machine-leaning analysis. The surface parameters, which are typically used in engineering to describe surfaces, are used to classify cells. The method is applied to the detection of bladder cancer, which is one of the most common human malignancies and the most expensive cancer to treat.

Self-assembly of multi-hierarchically structured spongy mesoporous silica particles and mechanism of their formation.

Here we report on self-assembly of novel multi-hierarchically structured meso(nano)porous colloidal silica particles which have cylindrical pores of 4-6nm, overall size of ∼10μm and "cracks" of 50-200nm. These cracks make particles look like micro-sponges. The particles were prepared through a modified templated sol-gel self-assembly process.