Antibody modified porous silicon microparticles for the selective capture of cells

Abstract

Herein, the ability of porous silicon (PSi) particles for selectively binding to specific cells is investigated. PSi microparticles with a high reflectance band in the reflectivity profile are fabricated, and subsequently passivated and modified with antibodies via the Cu(I)-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition reaction and succimidyl activation. To demonstrate the ability of the antibody-modified PSi particles to selectively bind to one cell type over others, HeLa cells were transfected with surface epitopes fused to fluorescent proteins. The antibody-functionalized PSi particles showed good selectivity for the corresponding surface protein on HeLa cells, with no significant cross-reactivity. The results are important for the application of PSi particles in cell sensing and drug delivery.