Folate ligand anchored liquid crystal microdroplets emulsion for in vitro detection of KB cancer cells

A KB cancer cell-selective, liquid crystal microdroplets emulsion is prepared using folic acid-conjugated block copolymers (PS-b-PAA-FA) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as a mediator to induce configurational transitions in 4-cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl (5CB) liquid crystal microdroplets emulsion. The prepared liquid crystal microdroplets emulsion has shown a configurational transition from radial to bipolar on interacting with KB cancer cells, but no transition from radial to bipolar configuration is observed when liquid crystal microdroplets emulsion was allowed to interact with other normal cells such as fibroblast and osteoblast. The KB cancer cell selectivity of liquid crystal microdroplets emulsion has been considered due to the presence of KB cancer cell folate receptor-specific ligand (FA) at the surface of liquid crystal microdroplets, which allowed liquid crystal microdroplets to interact specifically with KB cancer cells. The ligand-receptor interactions have been considered responsible for triggering the configurational transitions from radial to bipolar in liquid crystal microdroplets emulsion. Thus, folate ligand anchored liquid crystal microdroplets emulsion has shown a potential to be used for in vitro detection of KB cancer cells in the early stage of tumor development.