A Novel Fluorescent Label Based on Organic Dye-Doped Silica Nanoparticles for HepG Liver Cancer Cell Recognition

In this paper, we report a method for the recognition of HepG liver cancer cells with the use of a novel fluorescent label based on organic dye-doped fluorescent silica nanoparticles. The novel organic dye-doped silica nanoparticles are prepared with a water-in-oil microemulsion technique. The silica network is produced by the controlled synchronous hydrolysis of tetraethoxysilane and 3-amino-propyltriethoxysilane (APTES). The organic dye fluorescein isothiocyanate is doped inside as a luminescent signaling element, through covalent bonding to the amino group of APTES. The organic dye-doped core-shell nanoparticles are highly luminescent and exhibit minimal dye leaching and excellent photostability. A novel fluorescent label method based on biological fluorescent nanoparticles has been developed. The dye-doped fluorescent silica nanoparticles are covalently immobilized with anti-human liver cancer monoclonal antibody HAb18. We have used antibody-labeled fluorescent nanoparticles to recognize HepG liver cancer cells. It has been observed that the bioassay based on the organic dye-doped nanoparticles can identify the target cells selectively and efficiently. The fluorescent nanoparticle label also exhibits high photostability.