A SLC35C2 Transporter‐Targeting Fluorescent Probe for the Selective Detection of B Lymphocytes Identified by SLC‐CRISPRi and Unbiased Fluorescence Library Screening

Telling sister immune cells apart

28 November 2022

A small fluorescent molecule lights up B cells but not T cells, allowing researchers to distinguish between these two key agents of the immune system.

While T and B cells play different roles in defending our bodies against pathogens, they are extremely difficult to tell apart since they are similar in size and shape.

Until recently, the only way to distinguish them was thought to be specific fluorescent antibodies, but small fluorescent molecules are offering a new way to tell them apart.

Now, by screening thousands of library compounds, a team led by researchers from the Institute for Basic Science in South Korea has identified a fluorescent molecular probe that enters only mouse B cells.

This fluorescent probe will help researchers tease apart the roles the two immune cell types play in fighting pathogens.

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References

1. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 61, e202202095 (2022). doi: 10.1002/anie.202202095