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Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Dextran Labeling and Uptake in Live and Functional Murine Cochlear Hair Cells
Published on: February 8, 2020
Cytosolic Uptake of Large Monofunctionalized Dextrans
Wen Chyan1, Henry R Kilgore1, Ronald T Raines1
1Department of Chemistry , Massachusetts Institute of Technology , 77 Massachusetts Avenue , Cambridge , Massachusetts 02139 , United States.
Abstract:
Dextrans are a versatile class of polysaccharides with applications that span medicine, cell biology, food science, and consumer goods. Here, we report on a new type of large monofunctionalized dextran that exhibits unusual properties: efficient cytosolic and nuclear uptake. This dextran permeates various human cell types without the use of transfection agents, electroporation, or membrane perturbation. Cellular uptake occurs primarily through active transport via receptor-mediated processes. These monofunctionalized dextrans could serve as intracellular delivery platforms for drugs or other cargos.
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