Light scattering measurements of subcellular structure provide noninvasive early detection of chemotherapy-induced apoptosis.

ABSTRACT: We present a light scattering study using angle-resolved low coherence interferometry (a/LCI) to assess nuclear morphology and subcellular structure within MCF-7 cells at several time points after treatment with chemotherapeutic agents. Although the nuclear diameter and eccentricity are not observed to change, the light scattering signal reveals a change in the organization of subcellular structures that we interpret using fractal dimension (FD). The FD of subcellular structures in cells treated with paclitaxel and doxorubicin is observed to increase significantly compared with that of control cells as early as 1.5 and 3 hours after application, respectively. The FD is then found to decrease slightly at 6 hours postapplication for both agents only to increase again from 12 to 24 hours post

SUBMITTER: Chalut KJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2667891 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature