LectoScape: A Highly Multiplexed Imaging Platform for Glycome Analysis and Biomedical Diagnosis

Area of Science:

• Glycobiology
• Biomedical Imaging
• Cancer Diagnostics

Background:

• Glycosylation is a vital biological process affecting numerous cellular functions.
• Understanding the spatial distribution of glycans in tissues is crucial for biological and medical research.
• Existing technologies have limitations in comprehensively imaging diverse glycan structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce LectoScape, a novel method for high-resolution imaging of tissue glycomes.
• To enable multiplexed detection of a wide array of glycans, including N-glycans and O-glycans.
• To identify novel glycan biomarkers for disease diagnosis.

Main Methods:

• LectoScape utilizes image mass cytometry (IMC) for detailed glycan imaging at up to 1 μm resolution.
• The method employs 12 distinct, non-overlapping lectins selected via microarray technology.
• An efficient lectin labeling strategy was developed for multiplexed glycan detection.

Main Results:

• LectoScape successfully delineated unique glycan structures in various cell types and human tissues.
• The method achieved concurrent imaging of diverse glycan motifs (N-glycan and O-glycan).
• Specific O-glycan markers (α2,3-sialylated Galβ1, 3GalNAc and terminal GalNAc) were identified as diagnostic indicators for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.

Conclusions:

• LectoScape provides unprecedented detail in imaging tissue glycomes.
• The identified glycan markers demonstrate potential for early cancer diagnostics.
• This technology advances our understanding of glycan roles in health and disease.