Authors
Alex H Chen, Yingzhao Zhao, Soojin Kwon, Rashmi Vyas, Raymond F Gamache, Tiantian Sun, Hasan Babazada, Katheryn Lohith, Michael D Farwell
Published in
ACS chemical biology. Oct 26, 2026. Epub Oct 26, 2026.
Abstract
Cellular immunotherapies have transformed oncologic treatment in recent years, yet the inability to monitor cell migration post-transfusion remains a significant barrier to their development. Here, we explore the feasibility of a non-invasive cell-tracking method utilizing Cu(I)-catalyzed click chemistry in which cells are first labeled with alkynes and, after 1-2 weeks, are selectively targeted via an azide-conjugated fluorescent probe. We developed Click1, a novel tris-Cu-chelating azide capable of a rapid, robust click reaction directly on live cell surfaces with minimal cytotoxicity. When paired with Click1, two distinct alkyne-labeling reagents, N-(4-pentynoyl)-mannosamine-tetraacylated (Ac4ManNAl) and propargyl choline, were capable of detecting human T cells for over two weeks. Our findings elucidate the metabolic turnover of biochemical handles in primary immune cells, providing a potential framework for long-term cell tracking in immunotherapies.
PMID:
42913461
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 24 Oct 2026.
Read full publication at:
Please sign in
to see all details.
Advertisement
Stats
- Recommendations n/a n/a positive of 0 vote(s)
- Views 13
- Comments 0