Scanning electrochemical microscopy-based drug sensitivity test for a cell culture integrated in silicon microstructures.

The respiratory activity of collagen-embedded living cells was imaged by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) with the objective to study anticancer drug sensitivity. Two kinds of cancer cells, the human erythroleukemia cell line (K562) and its adriamycin-resistant subline (K562/ADM), were immobilized at the array of microholes micromachined on a silicon wafer for comparative characterization of their sensitivity to the anticancer drug, ADM. The results obtained by the SECM method showed correspondence to a conventional colorimetric assay (SDI assay). Furthermore, since the SECM assay is based on the noninvasive measurement of the respiration activity, continuous monitoring of a dose response was possible.