January 21, 2022
Functional imaging of tumor cells provides critical information about the size and location of the tumor, as well as the micro-environment. Many tumors grow faster than blood vessels can form, leading to a lack of oxygen. HIF-1α then regulates the creation of new vascular networks. Hence HIF-1α can be used to identify tumor aggressiveness, proliferation, and likelihood to metastasize. Researchers from Spain have reported a fluorescent hypoxia biosensor based on the oxygen-dependent degradation domain of HIF-1α. This probe is stabilized under hypoxia, properly degrades under normoxia, and retains the oxygen sensing capability of HIF-1α. The developed hypoxia sensor contributes to a deeper view and understanding of the tumor micro-environment that modern imaging techniques cannot provide.
Due to the highly sensitive nature of fluorescence spectroscopy, the spectra were recorded with a fluorometer coupled to Wavelength Electronics’ LFI-3751 temperature controller. The high performance and high precision LFI 3751 temperature controller ensured stable wavelength and power of the emitted light.
The complete case study is available as CS-TC05.