Nanotechnology platform for cell-based magnetic assays

描述（由申请人提供）： MagneSensors的计划旨在开发一种纳米技术平台，该平台使用超灵敏的磁性传感器和磁性标签对活细胞进行强大的新细胞检测。该磁性检测平台使用高温（高Tc）超导量子干涉器件（SQUID）来检测由磁性纳米颗粒标记的生物分子产生的磁场。 第一阶段的工作是专门针对采用创新的纳米技术，以减少和控制磁传感器和磁性纳米粒子标签的关键尺寸，以推动下一代仪器，然后证明在敏感的细胞测定的适用性。第一阶段使用模型系统进行概念验证细胞测定。细胞测定的具体目的包括：1）检测100个粘附活细胞（HUVEC）上的细胞表面受体（ICAM-1），2）检测10个非粘附活细胞（CRL-1923）上的细胞表面受体（IG），3）检测10，000个“正常”T细胞背景中的50个“罕见”B细胞。 需要更小（10-20 nm）的有源器件来改善磁传感器，需要更小（30-80 nm）、更均匀、更强大的磁性纳米颗粒来进一步推动仪器灵敏度，以实现单细胞检测和稀有细胞检测的雄心勃勃的第二阶段目标。 新的细胞测定的益处包括：a）对“正常”细胞群（例如母体血液中的胎儿细胞、转移性肿瘤细胞、感染的宿主细胞）中的稀有细胞的灵敏检测，B）对细胞表面受体或蛋白质的超灵敏“混合和测量”测定，其能够在手指针刺血液并且不需要样品制备的情况下进行。后者最终可以取代细胞培养，用于快速检测感染（例如脓毒症和脓毒性休克），其中需要立即回答，延迟可能会被证明是致命的。 这个“纳米生物技术”计划将受益于一组经验丰富的物理学家，化学家和生物学家的密切跨学科合作。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): MagneSensors' program is aimed at developing a nanotechnology platform that uses ultra-sensitive magnetic sensors and magnetic labels to perform powerful new cell assays on live cells. This magnetic detection platform uses high temperature (high-Tc) superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) to detect the magnetic field generated by biomolecules tagged with magnetic nanoparticles. The Phase I effort is specifically aimed at employing innovative nanotechnology to reduce and control critical dimensions in magnetic sensors and magnetic nanoparticle labels to drive next generation instrumentation and then demonstrating applicability in sensitive cell assays. Phase I uses model systems for proof-of-concept cell assays. Cell assay specific aims include: 1) detection of cell surface receptors (ICAM-1) on 100 adherent live cells (HUVEC), 2) detection of cell surface receptors (Ig) on 10 non-adherent live cells (CRL-1923), and 3) detection of 50 "rare" B cells in a background of 10,000 "normal" T cells. Smaller (10-20 nm) active devices to improve the magnetic sensors, and small (30-80 nm), more uniform, and more powerful magnetic nanoparticles are required to further push the instrument sensitivity towards the ambitious Phase II goals of single cell detection and rare cell detection. The benefits of the new cell assays include: a) the sensitive detection of rare cells within a "normal" cell population (such as fetal cells in maternal blood, metastatic tumor cells, infected host cells), b) ultra-sensitive "mix and measure" assays on cell surface receptors or proteins capable of being performed on a finger stick of blood and no sample preparation. The latter could eventually replace cell culturing for the rapid detection of infections (e.g. sepsis and septic shock) where an immediate answer is needed and delay can prove fatal. This "nanobiotechnology" program will benefit from the close interdisciplinary collaboration of an experienced group of physicists, chemists, and biologists.