Nanotechnology Now

Our NanoNews Digest Sponsors
Heifer International



Home > Press > Nanoparticles Detect Telomerase Activity

Abstract:
Telomerase, an enzyme that prevents chromosomes from shortening when they divide, is widely suspected of playing a key role in making cancer cells immortal. Though researchers have developed a variety of methods for measuring the activity of this enzyme, none of these methods have proved suitable for use in diagnostic assays for cancer or in efforts to develop drugs that block telomerase activity. Now, a team of investigators at Northwestern University's Nanomaterials for Cancer Diagnostics and Therapeutics has developed a new type of nanoparticle-based assay that appears to be both accurate and sensitive enough for clinical use.

Nanoparticles Detect Telomerase Activity

Bethesda , MD | Posted on July 9th, 2008

Chad Mirkin, Ph.D., principal investigator of the National Cancer Institute-supported Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence at Northwestern, led the research team that developed the new assay. Their results appear in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

The assay system consists of gold nanoparticles coated with short stretches of DNA that can serve as a substrate for telomerase. When a sample containing this enzyme is mixed with these nanoparticles, telomerase binds to the DNA sequences and begins adding repeated stretches of six specific nucleotides to the end of the DNA. After a short time, the investigators wash off any telomerase and then add magnetic microparticles coated with a piece of oligonucleotide that is complementary to the sequence added by telomerase. The coated magnetic microparticles bind to any elongated DNA and enable the researchers to separate those complexes from the rest of the gold nanoparticles by using a magnetic field. Next, the DNA sequences are removed from the gold nanoparticles and are detected using a silver development process and automated reader that Dr. Mirkin's team invented for a related assay system, known as the biobarcode assay.

Using this assay, the investigators were able to reliably detect telomerase activity in as few as 10 to 1,000 tumor cells grown in culture. The researchers then showed that they could detect changes in telomerase activity after the addition of a known inhibitor of the enzyme, suggesting that this assay could help in efforts to develop telomerase inhibitors as anticancer agents.

####

About National Cancer Institute
To help meet the goal of reducing the burden of cancer, the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, is engaged in efforts to harness the power of nanotechnology to radically change the way we diagnose, treat and prevent cancer.

The NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer is a comprehensive, systematized initiative encompassing the public and private sectors, designed to accelerate the application of the best capabilities of nanotechnology to cancer.

Currently, scientists are limited in their ability to turn promising molecular discoveries into benefits for cancer patients. Nanotechnology can provide the technical power and tools that will enable those developing new diagnostics, therapeutics, and preventives to keep pace with today’s explosion in knowledge.

For more information, please click here

Contacts:
National Cancer Institute
Office of Technology & Industrial Relations
ATTN: NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer
Building 31, Room 10A49
31 Center Drive , MSC 2580
Bethesda , MD 20892-2580


Copyright © National Cancer Institute

If you have a comment, please Contact us.

Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.

Bookmark:
Delicious Digg Newsvine Google Yahoo Reddit Magnoliacom Furl Facebook

Related Links

View PubMed citation - “A New Approach to Amplified Telomerase Detection with Polyvalent Oligonucleotide Nanoparticle Conjugates.”

Related News Press

News and information

New method in the fight against forever chemicals September 13th, 2024

Energy transmission in quantum field theory requires information September 13th, 2024

Breakthrough in proton barrier films using pore-free graphene oxide: Kumamoto University researchers achieve new milestone in advanced coating technologies September 13th, 2024

Quantum researchers cause controlled ‘wobble’ in the nucleus of a single atom September 13th, 2024

Nanomedicine

NYU Abu Dhabi researchers develop novel covalent organic frameworks for precise cancer treatment delivery: NYU Abu Dhabi researchers develop novel covalent organic frameworks for precise cancer treatment delivery September 13th, 2024

Unveiling the power of hot carriers in plasmonic nanostructures August 16th, 2024

Nanobody inhibits metastasis of breast tumor cells to lung in mice: “In the present study we describe the development of an inhibitory nanobody directed against an extracellular epitope present in the native V-ATPase c subunit.” August 16th, 2024

The mechanism of a novel circular RNA circZFR that promotes colorectal cancer progression July 5th, 2024

Discoveries

Energy transmission in quantum field theory requires information September 13th, 2024

Breakthrough in proton barrier films using pore-free graphene oxide: Kumamoto University researchers achieve new milestone in advanced coating technologies September 13th, 2024

Quantum researchers cause controlled ‘wobble’ in the nucleus of a single atom September 13th, 2024

New nanomaterial could transform how we visualise fingerprints: Innovative nanomaterials have the potential to revolutionise forensic science, particularly in the detection of latent (non-visible) fingermarks September 13th, 2024

Announcements

Giving batteries a longer life with the Advanced Photon Source: New research uncovers a hydrogen-centered mechanism that triggers degradation in the lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles September 13th, 2024

NYU Abu Dhabi researchers develop novel covalent organic frameworks for precise cancer treatment delivery: NYU Abu Dhabi researchers develop novel covalent organic frameworks for precise cancer treatment delivery September 13th, 2024

New discovery aims to improve the design of microelectronic devices September 13th, 2024

New method in the fight against forever chemicals September 13th, 2024

NanoNews-Digest
The latest news from around the world, FREE




  Premium Products
NanoNews-Custom
Only the news you want to read!
 Learn More
NanoStrategies
Full-service, expert consulting
 Learn More











ASP
Nanotechnology Now Featured Books




NNN

The Hunger Project