A sticky business – how cancer cells become more 'gloopy' as they die

Imperial researchers capture images of changes as they occur inside cells<em> - News release</em>

Imperial College London news release

Strictly embargoed for
18.00 hours GMT
(14.00 US Eastern Time)
Sunday 15 March 2009

The viscosity, or 'gloopiness', of different parts of cancer cells increases dramatically when they are blasted with light-activated cancer drugs, according to new images that provide fundamental insights into how cancer cells die, published in Nature Chemistry today.

The images reveal the physical changes that occur inside cancer cells whilst they are dying as a result of Photodynamic Therapy (PDT). This cancer treatment uses light to activate a drug that creates a short-lived toxic type of oxygen, called singlet oxygen, which kills cancerous cells.

209 naturalsciences

The research team behind the study says that revealing what happens to viscosity within a dying cancer cell is important because it helps give a better understanding of how cells function and which factors are important for controlling reactions inside cells. Ultimately this could help scientists design more efficient drugs for Photodynamic Therapy and other treatments.

The research is also of wider significance because these are the first ever real-time maps showing viscosity changing over a period of time inside a cell during a biologically important process like cell death.

Previous studies have shown that the viscosity of human cells and organs also changes in patients with diseases including diabetes and atherosclerosis, says lead author Dr Marina Kuimova from Imperial College London's Department of Chemistry.

She explains: "We're still not quite sure exactly what the relationship is between increased stickiness inside cells and disease, but we expect that the two are related."

"Knowing more about these changes, and being able to map them when they occur in all kinds of different scenarios, from dying cancer cells, to diseased blood cells, could help us to better understand how some diseases and their treatments affect cell and organ function."

Dr Kuimova and her colleagues were able to track viscosity as it changed inside live cancer cells thanks to a newly-developed Photodynamic Therapy drug, with unusual fluorescent properties. The drug, which is made of a molecule with a spinning component like a rotor, emits different wavelengths of light depending on the viscosity of its surroundings.

The changing wavelengths of light emitted during experiments, and captured over a period of 10 minutes, showed that once the PDT drug was activated, the level of viscosity inside the cell increased dramatically. The researchers suggest that this increasing 'gloopiness' is caused by the toxic oxygen molecules released into the cell. They think that increased levels of viscosity might even contribute directly to the cancer cell's further deterioration by slowing down vital communication and transport processes inside the cell.

Dr Stanley Botchway from the Science and Technology Facilities Council which worked in collaboration with Imperial College London on this research, said: "The huge viscosity we measured was surprising and it certainly gives a new insight into the change in cellular environment during cell death."

However, the researchers noted that as viscosity in the cancerous cell increases, the toxic oxygen molecule's mission to kill the cell is slowed down too.

Dr Kuimova explains: "It looks like whilst the increasing viscosity contributes to the cell's demise, these new 'sticky' cell conditions can slow the drug down too, so it’s not as straightforward a relationship as it might first appear.

"More work is needed to better understand the complex interplay between viscosity and cell death. We hope to use our imaging technique to track changes in viscosity in other kinds of cells as they occur in real-time, to unlock some of the secrets of what goes on inside cells when they're functioning, malfunctioning or dying."

The research was led by Imperial College London in collaboration with the Science and Technology Facilities Council's Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL), the University of Oxford, King's College London, and the University of Aarhus in Denmark. The work was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, with support from the Science and Technology Facilities Council, and the Danish Foundation for Basic Research.

-Ends-

For more information please contact:
Danielle Reeves, Imperial College London press office
Tel: +44 (0)20 7594 2198
Out-of-hours duty press office: +44 (0)7803 886248
Email: Danielle.reeves@imperial.ac.uk

Notes to editors:

1. 'Imaging intracellular viscosity of a single cell during photoinduced cell death', Nature Chemistry, online publication Sunday 15 March 2009.

Marina K. Kuimova (1,5), Stanley W. Botchway (2), Anthony W. Parker (2), Milan Balaz (3), Hazel A. Collins (3), Harry L. Anderson (3), Klaus Suhling (4) and Peter R. Ogilby (5).

(1) Chemistry Department, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK,
(2) Central Laser Facility, Science and Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, UK,
(3) Oxford University, Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK,
(4) Department of Physics, King’s College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, UK,
(5) Center for Oxygen Microscopy and Imaging (COMI), Department of Chemistry, University of Aarhus, Aarhus DK- 8000, Denmark.

2. About Imperial College London

Consistently rated amongst the world's best universities, Imperial College London is a science-based institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research that attracts 13,000 students and 6,000 staff of the highest international quality.

Innovative research at the College explores the interface between science, medicine, engineering and business, delivering practical solutions that improve quality of life and the environment - underpinned by a dynamic enterprise culture.

Since its foundation in 1907, Imperial's contributions to society have included the discovery of penicillin, the development of holography and the foundations of fibre optics. This commitment to the application of research for the benefit of all continues today, with current focuses including interdisciplinary collaborations to improve health in the UK and globally, tackle climate change and develop clean and sustainable sources of energy.

Website: www.imperial.ac.uk

3. About the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is the UK's main agency for funding research in engineering and the physical sciences. The EPSRC invests more than £740 million a year in research and postgraduate training, to help the nation handle the next generation of technological change.

Website: www.epsrc.ac.uk

4. About the Science and Technology Facilities Council

The Science and Technology Facilities Council ensures the UK retains its leading place on the world stage by delivering world-cl a ss science; accessing and hosting international facilities; developing innovative technologies; and increasing the socio-economic impact of its research through effective knowledge exchange partnerships.

The Counc il has a broad science portfolio including Astronomy, Particle Physics, Particle Astrophysics, Nuclear Physics, Space Science, Synchrotron Radiation, Neutron Sources and High Power Lasers. In addition the Council manages and operates three internationally renowned laboratories:

- The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire
- The Daresbury Laboratory, Cheshire
- The UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Edinburgh

The Council gives researchers access to world-class facilities and funds the UK membership of international bodies such as the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN), the Institute Laue Langevin (ILL), European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), the European organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO) and the European Space Agency (ESA). It also contributes money for the UK telescopes overseas on La Palma, Hawaii, Australia and in Chile, and the MERLIN/VLBI National Facility, which includes the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank Observatory.

The Council distributes public money from the Government to support scientific research. Between 2008 and 2009 we will invest approximately £787 million.

Website: www.scitech.ac.uk