Nanoparticle Uptake Study in Cancer Cells via Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectrometry Elemental Mapping

The superior properties of nanoparticles (NPs) compared to bulk materials have led to their use in medicine for therapeutics, targeted drug delivery, and imaging. In areas like cancer treatment, NPs offer a promising alternative to conventional treatment methods limited by poor specificity and non-targeted distribution. Metallic NPs, like silver NPs, are valued for their optical and biomedical properties in treatment and imaging. Investigating NP properties like shape, size, composition, and surface chemistry is essential to understanding their cellular uptake and biological responses. Equally important is the quantitative analysis of NP-cell interactions to understand NP behavior in biological systems and to design safe, effective NP-based therapies. Conventional characterization methods are often limited by low throughput, restricting their ability to efficiently study these interactions. In contrast, Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectrometry (GDOES), a direct solid-sampling, multi-element analytical technique, provides high-throughput analysis with minimal sample preparation. Combined with spectral imaging under pulsed power and high-pressure conditions, it enables rapid elemental mapping (EM) with high spatial and compositional resolution. Recent advancements allow characterization of dried NPs within seconds, providing elemental composition, spatial, and structural information with single-picogram detection limits.
This study presents the first development of a quantitative GDOES-EM method to investigate NP-cell interactions. Silver NPs (~50 nm) and their uptake by HL-60 leukemia cells will be studied as a model system using samples prepared by simple manual drop-casting. Quantification will be performed through external calibration and standard addition techniques to evaluate matrix effects, and results will be validated against established analytical methods. The influence of NP exposure time, concentration, and size on cell uptake will be discussed.