Enabling Indium Channels for Mass Cytometry by Using Reinforced Cyclam-Based Chelating Polylysine

The synthesis of a polylysine polymer functionalized with the previously reported astonishingly inert [In(cb-te2pa)]⁺ chelate was performed. A biotin end group allowed the conjugation to biotinylated beads by the intermediary of a fluorescein isothiocyanate/neutravidin receptor. High quality imaging mass cytometry trials, based on ¹¹⁵In detection were performed to highlight the behavior of the material. Anti-CD20 antibody was labeled by the so-obtained In(III)-modified polylysine using the biotin/neutravidin interaction. Ramos (CD20[+]) and HL-60 (CD20[-]) cell lines were costained with the In(III)-modified bioconjugate by finding the best staining conditions. Both immunofluorescence microscopy (IF-M) and mass cytometry analyses confirmed the specific binding of anti-CD20 onto Ramos cells. CyTOF histograms constructed on the ¹¹⁵In detection allowed us to define and to separate, with a good signal-to-noise ratio, two populations (Ramos and HL-60). The inertness of In(III)-MCP-NAv over a three-month storage period was proved by performing new functionality tests involving Jurkat cells (CD20[-]) and multiparametric trials involving the ¹¹⁵In channel. The results ensure a promising future use of the previously announced [In(cb-te2pa)]⁺ complex-based polymers for mass cytometry.