Mapping Cancer Through Cell Surface Sugars June 1, 2026 The Pathologist Share Summary Takeaways Listen Insight Report Clinical Scorecard Quiz Top Institutions 1 Researchers developed a microscopy-based method called 'glycan atlassing' to map glycans on cell surfaces at nanometer-scale resolution. 2 The glycocalyx plays a crucial role in immune signaling, cell adhesion, inflammation, and cancer biology. 3 The method combines DNA-tagged lectins, metabolic glycan labeling, and super-resolution microscopy to analyze glycan distribution. 4 Glycan patterns differed between normal and transformed breast epithelial cells and changed during epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. 5 The technique revealed distinct glycan signatures in activated immune cells compared to resting cells, indicating dynamic changes.
