Tumors are characterized as swamps: abnormal and disordered tissue masses with highly stressful conditions of hypoxia, low pH, low nutrient conditions due to a combination of rapid cell growth, lack of vasculature and altered metabolism. While for normal cells that combination would be lethal, for cancer cells it provides a genotoxic environment they may adapt to.
In this line of work, we develop a phosphorescence lifetime imaging (PLIM) technology based oxygen sensor to monitor the local O2 level in a extended two dimensional array of cancer cells with strong and mixed gradients to nutrients and O2 using a novel pure diffusional three dimensional microfabricated technology the emergence of highly hypotoxic dormant cell metapopulations.
Selected Publications:
- Zhao, Y., Liu, L., Luo, T., Hong, L., Peng, X., Austin, R. H., & Qu, J. (2018). A platinum-porphine/poly (perfluoroether) film oxygen tension sensor for noninvasive local monitoring of cellular oxygen metabolism using phosphorescence lifetime imaging. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 269, 88-95.