Nucleotide-Based Elemental Mass Probes for High-Sensitive Single-Cell Mass Cytometry

Mass cytometry is one of the most powerful strategies for multiplexed cell-surface protein profiling and cell typing. However, its potential in cell classification is constrained by the lack of elemental mass probes. In this work, we constructed a novel nucleotide-based elemental mass probe. This probe employs nucleotide chains as its backbone and utilizes the active amino groups in the chains to couple with metal chelates, which enables it to exhibit improved sensitivity, water solubility, and biocompatibility. We applied the probes in mass cytometry analysis using a cell mixture and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The results showed that the signal-to-noise ratio of the probes is twice that of the commercial probes, and it can successfully identify the CD markers from patients' PBMCs. We hold a belief that this probe has a strong potential for clinical diagnosis and is expected to drive advancements in multiplexed cell analysis.