In this example, Optiscan technology is used to identify individual cancer cells by targeting specific proteins on their surface using fluorescently-tagged antibodies.
Antibodies, like a lock to a key, can fit and bind to specific proteins. Antibodies can also be tagged with a fluorescent agent, so that the Optiscan microscope can detect them. This makes it possible to directly observe which cells are making the proteins, in the living tissue.
As proteins and protein targets are crucial to the study of diseases and drugs, this technique is a very powerful means of directly observing the molecular building blocks of life, disease and therapy.
Use of more than one fluorescent agent can also enable different targets to be observed at the same time, such as in this example, where cancerous cells are targeted in green and the microscopic blood vessels (capillaries) are targeted in red.
Image and protocol courtesy of Peter Anikajenko, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
