Innovative cell observation technique launched

In the world of medicine, the development of drugs and treatments hinges on understanding the body's most complicated functions within its smallest unit - the cell.

To fuel this understanding, UNC researcher and professor Klaus Hahn has developed technology to improve the observation of cells while they perform certain functions.

Hahn holds a doctorate in organic chemistry, but is interested in cell biology.

"I believe cells are the most beautiful and complicated units of life, and they are becoming easier to study," he said.

With researchers Perihan Nalbant, Louis Hodgson, Vadim Kraynov and Alexei Toutchkine, Hahn developed the cell observation technique at the Scripps Research Institute in California and published a paper in the September issue of Science Magazine.

"The paper is exciting because we explain the technique, and because we're proving we can use it," Hahn said.

He used this technique when observing protein response to signals from the outside environment. "There's a whole signaling network that sends messages to all parts of the cell and reacts to cues like blood flow and attached cells," he said.

In Hahn's method, a sensor is attached to a protein that is already inside the cell. Colored dyes show the location and behavior of signalling proteins on a computer screen.

This real-time observation is revolutionary.

"In the past we would grind the cell and see what proteins interact with other proteins, or we would make a fake protein with a light, put it in the cell and report what it was doing," Hahn said. "Now we can see interactions as they're occurring."

Channing Der, a UNC professor of pharmacology, said a key factor in cancer research is understanding these interactions.

"A normal cell listens to outside signals and behaves accordingly," Der said. "The cancer cell is insensitive or nonresponsive to them, and their growth is unregulated.This technique should allow us to see what goes wrong."

And the scope of this new technology's applications is not limited to cancer research.

Genospectra, a company that develops technology and products for life sciences, will be using Hahn's technique in future product development.

"Our mission is to develop and supply Parallel Quantitative Biology products and work to make meaningful biological contributions to cell biology," said Melanie Mahtani, vice president of business development and scientific collaboration at Genospectra.

"We do things like try and put the genome to use, make use of pathways and nudge pathways with drugs to treat diseases."

The PQB initiative is based on principles, including real-time, direct measurement of interactions between cells, making Hahn's technique of real interest.

"We're really excited about working with Dr. Hahn because now we can measure protein binding, not just the presence of protein," Mahtani said.

"We can't do this with other methods. Now we should be able to track antibodies and disclose their location and interaction with antigens."

Hahn and other researchers also will be working at UNC in the lab they've had up and running for a month. He already is working with undergraduate and graduate students and will be teaching in the Department of Pharmacology next year.

"We're really excited to get to work with it and see what it can do," Hahn said. "We came to UNC because it's a spectacular place to do work and a mecca for signaling research. We have the tool and now we want to use it."

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.