New Subcellular Sampling Technique Tracks Cancer Drugs Inside Living Cells Using Tiny Glass Capillaries

University of Surrey researchers use glass capillaries to track drugs inside living cells. Discover how this new method improves targeted cancer therapy.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 17, 2026, 11:28 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from University of Surrey

A Microscopic Breakthrough in Real Time Drug Tracking

The efficacy of modern cancer treatments often depends not just on whether a drug enters a tumor, but exactly where it resides within the cellular architecture. Researchers from the University of Surrey and King’s College London have addressed this challenge by developing a first of its kind analytical workflow that samples living cells in real time. Published in Spectrochimica Acta Part B, this method allows scientists to observe the distribution of metal based drugs within individual living cells and their internal compartments. This advancement represents a significant shift from traditional methods that required killing cells before analysis, providing a more accurate reflection of biological reality.

Harnessing Specialist Facilities for Precision Sampling

The development of this technique relied on the integration of two highly specialized UK research facilities. The SEISMIC facility at King’s College London provided the capability to extract material from single cells using ultra fine glass capillary tips. These tips, measuring as little as three micrometres for subcellular structures, act as microscopic needles to retrieve material under a microscope. Dr. Monica Felipe-Sotelo from the University of Surrey noted that combining this sampling step with Surrey’s inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry facility created a single, seamless workflow. This synergy allows researchers to pinpoint the precise destination of a therapeutic agent once it crosses the cellular membrane.

Targeted Radionuclide Therapy and the Role of Thallium

A primary focus of the study was targeted radionuclide therapy, a treatment class that delivers radiation directly to cancer cells via specialized molecules. For these therapies to be effective, the radioactive payload must reach specific targets, such as the nucleus to damage DNA or the mitochondria to disrupt energy production. To test their new method, the team used thallium chloride as a stable stand in for the radioactive isotope thallium-201. The researchers successfully detected thallium within mitochondria enriched material extracted from pancreatic cancer cells. Because thallium-201 emits radiation over a very short distance, knowing its exact location is essential to ensuring it destroys the tumor while sparing adjacent healthy tissue.