To develop a microscopy-based method that maps the organization of glycans on cell surfaces and links these patterns to cellular behavior and disease states.
Key Findings:
The technique distinguished different biological conditions based on glycan organization in cultured epithelial cells, primary neurons, human immune cells, and human breast cancer tissue.
Glycan patterns differed between normal and transformed breast epithelial cells and changed during epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition.
Rapid changes in the glycocalyx were detected in immune cells after activation, indicating dynamic changes during immune responses.
Distinct glycan signatures were observed in activated CD4-positive T cells and neutrophils compared to resting cells.
Tumor and non-tumor regions in human breast adenocarcinoma tissue showed different glycan organization patterns, with tumor tissue exhibiting greater heterogeneity.
Interpretation:
Limitations:
The approach is currently research-focused and technically complex.
It requires specialized imaging equipment.
Analysis is labor-intensive and limited to a small number of glycan targets.
