Cell viability imaging in tumor spheroids via DNA binding of a ruthenium(II) light-switch complex.
Vadde RamuLukas S WijayaNataliia BeztsinnaCorjan Van de GriendBob van de WaterSylvestre A BonnetSylvia E Le DévédecPublished in: Chemical communications (Cambridge, England) (2024)
The famous ''light-switch'' ruthenium complex [Ru(bpy) 2 (dppz)](PF 6 ) 2 (1) has been long known for its DNA binding properties in vitro . However, the biological utility of this compound has been hampered by its poor cellular uptake in living cells. Here we report a bioimaging application of 1 as cell viability probe in both 2D cells monolayer and 3D multi-cellular tumor spheroids of various human cancer cell lines (U87, HepG2, A549). When compared to propidium iodide, a routinely used cell viability probe, 1 was found to enhance the staining of dead cells in particular in tumor spheroids. 1 has high photostability, longer Stokes shift, and displays lower cytotoxicity compared to propidium iodide, which is a known carcinogenic. Finally, 1 was also found to displace the classical DNA binding dye Hoechst in dead cells, which makes it a promising dye for time-dependent imaging of dead cells in cell cultures, including multi-cellular tumor spheroids.
Keyphrases
- dna binding
- induced apoptosis
- living cells
- transcription factor
- fluorescent probe
- endoplasmic reticulum stress
- endothelial cells
- quantum dots
- stem cells
- oxidative stress
- single cell
- mass spectrometry
- photodynamic therapy
- single molecule
- cell proliferation
- cell therapy
- mesenchymal stem cells
- fluorescence imaging
- induced pluripotent stem cells