Potentially a new approach in cancer diagnosis: development of lanthanide-loaded nanoparticle-based biosensors for determining telomerase levels.
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| Title: | Potentially a new approach in cancer diagnosis: development of lanthanide-loaded nanoparticle-based biosensors for determining telomerase levels. |
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| Authors: | Kaplan, Mesut1 (AUTHOR), Uzun, Lokman1,2 (AUTHOR) lokman@hacettepe.edu.tr |
| Source: | Journal of Nanoparticle Research. Apr2026, Vol. 28 Issue 4, p1-15. 15p. |
| Subjects: | Telomerase reverse transcriptase, Silica nanoparticles, Biomarkers, Cancer diagnosis, Immunofluorescence, Telomerase, Biosensors |
| Abstract: | A key focus in cancer biomarker research is the quantification of telomerase-related signatures. In this study, we developed Eu3⁺-doped silica nanoparticle immunoprobes for fluorescence-based quantification of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) protein level as a proof-of-concept nanobiosensing platform. Biocompatible silica nanoparticles were functionalized with N-methacryloyl-L-aspartic acid (MAAsp) and Eu3⁺ to promote ligand-assisted sensitization (antenna effect), followed by surface amination and covalent antibody immobilization to enhance specificity toward TERT. The materials were characterized by FT-IR, zeta potential analysis, SEM, TEM, UV-visible spectrometry, fluorescence spectrometry, and gel electrophoresis, confirming successful surface modification and probe formation. The nanoparticles exhibited an average hydrodynamic size of approximately 120 nm, consistent across sizing methods. Antibody immobilization showed a minimum immobilization efficiency of 88.42 ± 0.92% estimated by a UV-spectrometric mass-balance (A280) approach. The sensing capability was evaluated using commercial TERT antigen standards and cell lysates derived from HeLa and MCF-7 tumor cell lines, yielding concentration-dependent fluorescence responses and enabling calibration-based estimation of TERT-equivalent levels in cell-derived samples. When compared under the same gel-imaging conditions, the Eu3⁺-based immunoprobes produced sharp and readily detectable signals relative to the commercial Cy2 dye. Although the present work does not include enzymatic telomerase activity assays (e.g., TRAP), normal controls, biological fluids, clinical specimens, or serum/plasma stability and biocompatibility assessments, the results support the analytical feasibility of Eu3⁺-doped silica immunoprobes as fluorescent labels for TERT protein-level readout and motivate further validation in clinically relevant matrices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal of Nanoparticle Research is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Engineering Source |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: egs DbLabel: Engineering Source An: 193394659 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Potentially a new approach in cancer diagnosis: development of lanthanide-loaded nanoparticle-based biosensors for determining telomerase levels. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kaplan%2C+Mesut%22">Kaplan, Mesut</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Uzun%2C+Lokman%22">Uzun, Lokman</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> lokman@hacettepe.edu.tr</i> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Nanoparticle+Research%22">Journal of Nanoparticle Research</searchLink>. Apr2026, Vol. 28 Issue 4, p1-15. 15p. – Name: Subject Label: Subjects Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Telomerase+reverse+transcriptase%22">Telomerase reverse transcriptase</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Silica+nanoparticles%22">Silica nanoparticles</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Biomarkers%22">Biomarkers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cancer+diagnosis%22">Cancer diagnosis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Immunofluorescence%22">Immunofluorescence</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Telomerase%22">Telomerase</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Biosensors%22">Biosensors</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: A key focus in cancer biomarker research is the quantification of telomerase-related signatures. In this study, we developed Eu3⁺-doped silica nanoparticle immunoprobes for fluorescence-based quantification of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) protein level as a proof-of-concept nanobiosensing platform. Biocompatible silica nanoparticles were functionalized with N-methacryloyl-L-aspartic acid (MAAsp) and Eu3⁺ to promote ligand-assisted sensitization (antenna effect), followed by surface amination and covalent antibody immobilization to enhance specificity toward TERT. The materials were characterized by FT-IR, zeta potential analysis, SEM, TEM, UV-visible spectrometry, fluorescence spectrometry, and gel electrophoresis, confirming successful surface modification and probe formation. The nanoparticles exhibited an average hydrodynamic size of approximately 120 nm, consistent across sizing methods. Antibody immobilization showed a minimum immobilization efficiency of 88.42 ± 0.92% estimated by a UV-spectrometric mass-balance (A280) approach. The sensing capability was evaluated using commercial TERT antigen standards and cell lysates derived from HeLa and MCF-7 tumor cell lines, yielding concentration-dependent fluorescence responses and enabling calibration-based estimation of TERT-equivalent levels in cell-derived samples. When compared under the same gel-imaging conditions, the Eu3⁺-based immunoprobes produced sharp and readily detectable signals relative to the commercial Cy2 dye. Although the present work does not include enzymatic telomerase activity assays (e.g., TRAP), normal controls, biological fluids, clinical specimens, or serum/plasma stability and biocompatibility assessments, the results support the analytical feasibility of Eu3⁺-doped silica immunoprobes as fluorescent labels for TERT protein-level readout and motivate further validation in clinically relevant matrices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Nanoparticle Research is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1007/s11051-026-06620-2 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 15 StartPage: 1 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Telomerase reverse transcriptase Type: general – SubjectFull: Silica nanoparticles Type: general – SubjectFull: Biomarkers Type: general – SubjectFull: Cancer diagnosis Type: general – SubjectFull: Immunofluorescence Type: general – SubjectFull: Telomerase Type: general – SubjectFull: Biosensors Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Potentially a new approach in cancer diagnosis: development of lanthanide-loaded nanoparticle-based biosensors for determining telomerase levels. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Kaplan, Mesut – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Uzun, Lokman IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 04 Text: Apr2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 13880764 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 28 – Type: issue Value: 4 Titles: – TitleFull: Journal of Nanoparticle Research Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
