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Nanoflares as Probes for Cancer Diagnostics

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Nanotechnology-Based Precision Tools for the Detection and Treatment of Cancer

Part of the book series: Cancer Treatment and Research ((CTAR,volume 166))

Abstract

Patients whose cancer is detected early are much more likely to have a positive prognosis and outcome. Nanoflares hold promise as a practical diagnostic platform for the early detection of cancer markers in living cells. These probes are based on spherical nucleic acid (SNAs) and are typically composed of gold nanoparticle cores and densely packed and highly oriented oligonucleotide shells; these sequences are complementary to specific mRNA targets and are hybridized to fluorophore-labeled reporter strands. Nanoflares take advantage of the highly efficient fluorescence quenching properties of gold, the rapid cellular uptake of SNAs that occurs without the use of transfection agents, and the enzymatic stability of such constructs to report a highly sensitive and specific signal in the presence of intracellular target mRNA. In this chapter, we will focus on the synthesis, characterization, and diagnostic applications of nanoflares as they relate to cancer markers.

Pratik S. Randeria and William E. Briley contributed equally.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Sheridan Road, 2145, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA

    Pratik S. Randeria

  2. International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, Sheridan Road, 2145, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA

    Pratik S. Randeria, William E. Briley, Alyssa B. Chinen, Chenxia M. Guan, Sarah Hurst Petrosko & Chad A. Mirkin

  3. Interdepartmental Biological Sciences Program, Northwestern University, Tech Drive, 2205, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA

    William E. Briley

  4. Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Sheridan Road, 2145, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA

    Alyssa B. Chinen, Sarah Hurst Petrosko & Chad A. Mirkin

  5. Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Sheridan Road, 2145, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA

    Chenxia M. Guan

Authors
  1. Pratik S. Randeria
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  2. William E. Briley
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  4. Chenxia M. Guan
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  6. Chad A. Mirkin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chad A. Mirkin .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry and International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA

    Chad A. Mirkin

  2. Department of Chemistry and International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA

    Thomas J. Meade

  3. Department of Chemistry and International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA

    Sarah Hurst Petrosko

  4. Department of Neurology, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center and International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University Robert H. Lurie Comp. Cancer Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    Alexander H. Stegh

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Randeria, P.S., Briley, W.E., Chinen, A.B., Guan, C.M., Petrosko, S.H., Mirkin, C.A. (2015). Nanoflares as Probes for Cancer Diagnostics. In: Mirkin, C., Meade, T., Petrosko, S., Stegh, A. (eds) Nanotechnology-Based Precision Tools for the Detection and Treatment of Cancer. Cancer Treatment and Research, vol 166. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16555-4_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16555-4_1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16555-4

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