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Would fluorescent labelling affect cancer cell metastasis Wenfa Ng 23 December 2019.pdf (68.15 kB)

Would fluorescent labelling affect cancer cell metastasis?

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posted on 2019-12-23, 05:42 authored by Wenfa NgWenfa Ng
Metastasis, the migration of cancer cells from the primary tumour to a secondary site, is important in cancer progression and prognosis. While significant research effort has been expended in studying the phenomenon at various length scales, relatively little is known about the initiator and process of cancer cell migration within an organism. One approach for gaining a deeper understanding of the process of metastasis lies in imaging the process of cancer cell migration from a primary tumour to another locale through the vascular system and body. This naturally calls for fluorescent labelling of cancer cells for differentiating cancer cells from healthy ones during intravital microscopy. However, could fluorescent labels impinge on the physiology and function of cancer cells that result in changes to the observed metastatic process? Specifically, while fluorescent labelling is a common tool in the repertoire of a contemporary cell biologist’s toolkit, its effect on cellular processes is poorly understood. For example, quantum dot fluorescent labels could exert a toxicity effect on cells. In addition, transfection of a fluorescent reporter gene via a viral vector might affect cellular physiology and processes. Thus, more studies are required to understand how fluorescent labels affect cellular physiology, gene expression, differentiation, migration and other processes for improving the selection of different techniques for labelling cells with fluorescent reporters. On the other hand, could a technique be developed that, non-invasively, differentiates diseased cells from healthy ones?

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