Luminescent Ag6Au6 Heterometallic Ethisterone Cluster and Probe for Estrogen Receptor α

A heterometallic cluster [Ag₆Au₆(ethisterone)₁₂] of an unprecedented topology was synthesized and characterized. A sensitive and specific probe for estrogen receptor α (ERα) has been developed for the first time based on the enhancement of the Ag₆Au₆ luminescence.     

Can glycoprofiling be helpful in detecting prostate cancer?

Glycans are chains of carbohydrates attached to proteins (glycoproteins and proteoglycans) or lipids (glycolipids). Glycosylation is a post-translational modification and glycans have a wide range of functions in the human body including involvement in oncological diseases. Change in a glycan structure can not only indicate the presence of a pathological process but, more importantly, in some cases also its stage. Thus, a glycan analysis has the potential to be an effective and reliable tool in cancer diagnostics. Lectins are proteins responsible for natural biorecognition of glycans; even carbohydrate moieties still attached to proteins or whole cells can be recognised by lectins, which makes them an ideal candidate for designing label-free biosensors for glycan analysis. This review seeks to summarise evidence that the glycoprofiling of biomarkers by lectin-based biosensors can be of significant help in detecting prostate cancer.