Smart and low-cost fluorometer for identifying breast cancer malignancy based on lipid droplets accumulation

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 18; no. 12; p. e0294988
• Main Authors: Moghtaderi, Shiva, Mandapati, Aditya, Davies, Gerald, Wahid, Khan A, Lukong, Kiven Erique
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 21.12.2023; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Accumulation; Biology and Life Sciences; Biomarkers; Breast cancer; Canada; Cancer; Cancer therapies; Care and treatment; Cell cycle; Cell death; Chemotherapy; Colorectal cancer; Detectors; Development and progression; Diagnosis; Droplets; Dyes; Electron microscopes; Engineering and Technology; Estrogens; Evaluation; Fluorescence; Fluorescence microscopy; Fluorescence spectroscopy; Fluorescent indicators; Fluorometers; Fulvestrant; Health aspects; Kidney cancer; Light sources; Lipids; Low cost; Malignancy; Medical imaging equipment; Medical research; Medicine and Health Sciences; Metabolism; Metastasis; Microenvironments; Microscopy; Mortality; Oncology, Experimental; Physical Sciences; Proteins; Tumor cell lines; Tumors; Canada
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294988

The most common cause of breast cancer-related death is tumor recurrence. To develop more effective treatments, the identification of cancer cell specific malignancy indicators is therefore critical. Lipid droplets are known as an emerging hallmark in aggressive breast tumors. A common technique that can be used for observing molecules in cancer microenvironment is fluorescence microscopy. We describe the design, development and applicability of a smart fluorometer to detect lipid droplet accumulation based on the emitted fluorescence signals from highly malignant (MDA-MB-231) and mildly malignant (MCF7) breast cancer cell lines, that are stained with BODIPY dye. This device uses a visible-range light source as an excitation source and a spectral sensor as the detector. A commercial imaging system was used to examine the fluorescent cancer cell lines before being validated in a preclinical setting with the developed prototype. The outcomes indicate that this low-cost fluorometer can effectively detect the alterations levels of lipid droplets and hence distinguish between "moderately malignant" and "highly malignant" cancer cells. In comparison to prior research that used fluorescence spectroscopy techniques to detect cancer biomarkers, this study revealed enhanced capability in classifying mildly and highly malignant cancer cell lines.