Researchers integrated pH-responsive surface-enhanced Raman scattering nanotags into breast cancer cells on a 3D-printed hydrogel scaffold.
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The nanotags used polymer-coated gold nanostars functionalized with 4-mercaptobenzoic acid to measure local pH through changes in Raman spectral bands.
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After chemotherapy, surfactant exposure, or plasmonic heating, the sensors detected pH increases, with timing varying from minutes to days.
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Independent cytotoxicity testing linked the pH increases to cell membrane damage, and Raman maps captured changes at subcellular resolution across millimeter-scale regions.
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The authors identified calibration stability, sensor variation, nanotag effects, and performance in more complex tissue models as areas for future assessment.
