Electrochemiluminescence Single-Cell Analysis: Intensity- and Imaging-Based Methods

Cellular heterogeneity is always present in any cell population. It is the fundamental to understand how single cells and cell ensembles behave under perturbation, which is essential for both basic research and clinical application. Various approaches have been developed to study cell-to-cell difference at the single-cell level, among which electrochemiluminescence (ECL) single-cell analysis has emerged in recent years. This Minireview focuses on the advances in ECL single cell analysis. After a brief introduction to single cell analysis and ECL, this overview mainly covers the ECL mechanisms and systems involved in ECL cytosensors, as well as the applications in ECL single cell analysis, which are classified into two main categories, namely intensity- and imaging-based methods. Finally, the outlooks and challenges in this field are discussed.