Nanosensor cantilever mechanical application for detection metastases of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC)

Abstract

The head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a cancer that affects the regions of the oral cavity, pharynx and larynx with a high incidence, reaching approximately 600,000 new cases per year. According to the clinical diagnosis and classification of established tumors, such as the TNM (tumor, lymph node, metastasis) system can determine the therapeutic approach the patient will be subjected, according to the characteristics of the tumor and its extension. Thus, the implementation of a methodology that allows a better classification of metastases cervical lymph node is an essential implementation for treatment approach in order to establish the the tumors HNSCC classification. The use of molecular markers based on miRNAs has been widely reported in the literature indicating this procedure using these markers it is a promising approach. Therefore, this project aims to develop a genosensor with micro levers (cantilevers) AFM for analysis and detection of miRNA markers (miR-203 and miR-205) for the study of metastasis in cervical lymph nodes. The genossensor will be built from the chemical modification of the surfaces of micro levers, so this micro levers AFM will be functionalized with complementary strands of miRNAs markers. Then, the same micro levers will be subjected to contact with the samples that have metastasis markers (miR-203 and miR-205). Thus, the functionalized tapes will be subject to interaction with the markers present in the sample, due to the complementarity of both. Therefore, according to the interaction between the tapes and markers, the micro levers will vibrate, and from the deflection will be measured intermolecular interaction forces between the functionalized tape and markers present in the samples. The innovative nature of this project deals with the development of a new metastasis detection methodology using synthetic samples and biological samples of HNSCC cell lines, in order to better classify the staging of these tumors in relation for the presence metastases lymph node. (AU)