Inhibitory effect of zinc oxide nanorod arrays on breast cancer cells profiled through real‐time cytokines screening by a single‐cell microfluidic platform

Abstract

Zinc oxide nanorods have been extensively studied for the specific killing of breast cancer (BC) cells, and their killing mechanism and anticancer effects have been initially demonstrated. However, systematic studies at the single‐cell level are still necessary to explore cellular functions in detail. In this work, a hydrothermal method was used to synthesize zinc oxide nanorod arrays (ZnO NRs). Their effect on BC cells was demonstrated at single‐cell resolution for the first time through microfluidic chips and a single‐cell analysis platform. The inhibitory effects of ZnO NRs were observed. First, ZnO NRs suppressed cell proliferation and migration abilities. Moreover, Interferon‐γ, Tumor Necrosis Factor‐α, and Granzyme B in BC cells turned out to be antitumor instead of tumorigenic under ZnO NRs stimulation. Furthermore, ZnO NRs inhibition altered cellular functions and thus weakened intercellular and intercluster correlations. More importantly, MDA‐MB‐231 cells (strongly metastatic) showed much greater resistance to ZnO NRs than MCF‐7 cells (nonmetastatic). The experiments complemented the findings at the single‐cell level and provided a more comprehensive consideration of the potential risks and applications of ZnO NRs in breast cancer therapy, which is of great importance for biomedical research on nanomaterials.

Fluid shear force and hydrostatic pressure jointly promote osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs by activating YAP1 and NFAT2

“…Changes in cell function under the influence of external conditions can be well explained through omics analysis. [38] This study investigated the influence of FSS and HP on the mechanical transduction pathways of BMSCs through transcriptomics. Consequently, it becomes feasible to discern the distinctions in the mechanisms of FSS and HP in inducing osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs, thus providing insights into potential crosstalk.…”

Microfluidic Biochips for Single‐Cell Isolation and Single‐Cell Analysis of Multiomics and Exosomes

“…Thousands of single cells were cultured and analyzed in situ on this chip developed by our team, revealing the impact of nanomaterials and external force stimulation on the growth and differentiation of single cells during the culture process. [ 43 , 44 , 45 ] A Microchamer chip was also used to study the grouping mechanism of single cells, enabling cancer cell subtype diagnosis and evaluation of immune cell efficacy. [ 37 , 46 , 47 ]…”

Neochlorogenic Acid Combined with Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Encapsulated into GelMA Hydrogel for Transplantation to Repair Intervertebral Disk Degeneration

“…Studies have shown that delivering cells or drugs without carriers can result in significant leakage from the injection site, , and carriers are therefore needed to avoid this . Several new biomaterials are gaining attention for their promising results in biomedicine. − Hydrogels have favorable cytocompatibility, and their internal porous structure facilitates cell adhesion and growth by providing space for cells to grow inward . Hydrogels are also considered to have the potential to surpass conventional materials because they can integrate with various drugs and cells .…”