A recent state-of-the-art method that measures the amounts of medicine and lipids (fats) in individual cells could help health professionals goal simpler treatments for diseases resembling tuberculosis (TB).

Researchers from the University of Surrey were capable of isolate individual living cells that contained drugs commonly used to treat TB and located that every cell absorbed the drug otherwise, and every cell had a singular lipid “fingerprint”.

There was an enormous variation in how much drug was present in each cell – this means that different cells absorb drugs otherwise. This might prove significant to improving our understanding of life-saving treatments – not just for TB but for other infectious diseases and cancer too.”

Dr Holly-May Lewis, first writer of the study, University of Surrey

Within the study, the Surrey researchers demonstrated the usage of a method called nanocapillary sampling, where scientists use a microscopic tool to trap individual cells. The researchers then used one other technique, liquid chromatography, to exactly measure the degrees of medicine and lipids.

Professor Melanie Bailey, corresponding writer of the study from the University of Surrey, said:

“Surrey is one in every of the few places within the country where it’s possible to experiment with these cutting-edge measuring techniques. We recently secured funding to determine a national research facility that may help researchers from the UK to make single cell measurements. If we’re ever capable of develop effective therapeutic methods to treat devastating diseases or fight the pandemics of the long run, more out-of-box scientific pondering like this is required.”

The research has been published within the journal Analyst.

Source:

Journal reference:

Lewis, H-M., et al. (2023) Nanocapillary sampling coupled to liquid chromatography mass spectrometry delivers single cell drug measurement and lipid fingerprints. Analyst. doi.org/10.1039/D2AN01732F.