Intracellular NO gas detection with single live-cell endoscopy

Project Gist

Unraveling the behavior of intracellular nitric oxide (NO) in living cells

Keywords

Intracellular nitric oxide, Photo-active materials, Nanowire single live-cell endoscopy

Background and Purpose

Nitric oxide (NO), an important signaling mediator bioactive gas molecule, is known to facilitate intercellular communication in living organisms. However, due to its properties such as invisibility and very rapid diffusion, the applications of NO in developing NO-based therapeutic drugs and treatment methods are limited. This project aims to overcome these limitations by integrating photo-responsive NO release materials with nanowire single live-cell endoscopy technique, which leads to a detailed investigation of intracellular NO behavior.

Project Achievements

This project was a collaborative research effort involving members from iCeMS, Kyoto University, specializing in material synthesis, and KU Leuven in Belgium, specializing in microscopy techniques. We successfully created a photosensitive NO release nanowire probe which realized releasing nitric oxide (NO) with controlled timing and location. By applying this novel NO release probe to the nanowire endoscopy technique, we were able to observe the release of NO on a single-cell membrane. Throughout the project period, symposiums were held once at Kyoto University and once at KU Leuven, and we successfully created a research network. Additionally, this project led to the acquisition of two new external funds, including KAKENHI.

Future Prospects

In the future, our aim is to use the developed method to release NO in smooth muscle cells under conditions that are closer to the environment found in living organisms. This will allow us to unravel the detailed behavior of intracellular NO. Additionally, we plan to apply for new international collaborative research funding based on the research network that was formed during this project.

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Principal Investigator