Using Mol 5 as a Fluorescent Probe to Detect Aldehyde Biomarkers in Ovarian Cancer Cell Lines

Abstract

Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecological cancer, accounting for over 5% of cancer-related deaths among women, as it is often diagnosed at advanced stages due to a lack of reliable early detection methods. Mol5 has been used to detect aldehydes in the presence of oxidative stress in cellular systems or cancer environments that increases in stressful cellular conditions, such as malignancy. Current studies on the effectiveness of ovarian cancer detection have concluded that traditional methods, CA125 blood tests and transvaginal ultrasounds, are not sufficient in detecting cancer risk in asymptomatic women, rendering them unreliable in routine screening. This raises the question of whether Mol 5 can accurately detect aldehyde-associated biomarkers in ovarian cancer cell lines. In this study, a 96-well microplate fluorescence reader was used to determine the optimal media conditions, concentrations, and incubation time for Mol 5 aldehyde detection, using the results for subsequent assays. Fluorescence microscopy imaging was performed to visualize the overlap of aldehydes, mitochondria, and nuclei staining fluorophores in the baseline and drug-resistant cell lines to investigate intracellular co-localization of the probe. A concentration of 30 millimolar (mM) at 120 minutes produced the strongest Mol 5 fluorescence signal in both cell lines. Imaging overlap showed Mol 5 greatest near the plasma membrane region, with a stronger signal in the drug-resistant cell line, consistent with elevated cellular stress levels. These findings suggest that Mol 5 has potential as a fluorescent probe for detecting ovarian cancer-associated biomarkers, potentially refining current early detection strategies.