optical measurement: 2
Life Sciences
Information and Communication
Nanotechnology / Materials
Manufacturing Technology
Human and Social Sciences
Energy
Environment
Tourism / Community development
Arctic Research
Social Infrastructure
Open Facilities
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Non-invasive Identification of Cancer Cells by Phase Contrast Measurement
Non-contact optical measurement for high-precision differentiation between cancer and normal cells in culture
The laser beam irradiated at and transmitted through cultured cells attached to the incubator’s bottom generates phase differences depending on the cell’s refractive index and thickness. In this study, we have shown that it is possible to highly accurately differentiate between normal cells and those that have become cancerous in culture by quantifying the phase difference at each point in the cell.
Research
Hoping to contribute to the quality control of cultured cells for transplantation in regenerative medicine, we have sought to establish a non-invasive and highly accurate method to determine the presence of cancerous cells in culture. The special mouse transplantation method, which has conventionally been used to determine the presence or absence of cancerous cells in a cell population, is destructive (invasive) and requires a long time (several weeks or more) to make a judgment. In contrast, this technology can identify cells in culture as quickly as within 10 seconds per field of view, or approximately 10 hours for all cells in a 100 mm dish, by calculating phase difference values that can be quantified non-invasively by simply transmitting laser light through the cells in culture. Since there is no other method to non-invasively determine the presence of cancer cells, which are important to identify for quality control, we are aiming to standardize this method.
Mutsumi Takagi Professor -
Susceptibility Testing of Molecular-targeted Therapeutic Drugs
Visualization technique of drug responsiveness in individual cells using fluorescence bioimaging
Fluorescence bioimaging is a technique to visualize the cell behavior at the single cell level. Using this method, we have applied the imaging technology to visualize drug responsiveness and resistance, and to predict future drug responsiveness of patients.
Research
This diagnostic technique uses fluorescent proteins and a fluorescent biosensor based on the principle of F?rster resonance energy transfer (FRET).
By visualizing the drug responsiveness at the single cell level with this biosensor, it has become possible to detect a very small number of drug-resistant cells. As a result, we have achieved a high concordance rate with the clinical course after administration and prediction of future drug responsiveness, both of which were not possible with conventional technology. This technology is not only the world’s first clinical application of fluorescent proteins, but also expected to help assure safety by selecting therapies with guaranteed efficacy. This will also bring economic benefits to medicine by reducing the financial burden on patients and the medical costs. We are now proceeding with this project for chronic myeloid leukemia, which is a blood cancer, as a model. In principle, this technology can be applied to various cancers.Yusuke Ohba Professor