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Targeted Plasma Membrane Delivery of a Hydrophobic Cargo Encapsulated in a Liquid Crystal Nanoparticle Carrier
Published on: February 8, 2017
Intracellular Delivery of Hydrophilic Glycans Using Superchaotropic Clusters
Qiao Tang1,2, Alexandru Ilie1,2, Matthew I Gibson1,2
1Department of Chemistry, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|August 12, 2026
Summary
Superchaotropic boron clusters enable solvent-free intracellular delivery of glycans, overcoming a major challenge. This method avoids cytotoxic solvents and complex devices for effective glycan delivery and cellular labeling.
Area of Science:
- Carbohydrate Chemistry
- Cell Biology
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Intracellular delivery of glycans is difficult, often requiring cytotoxic solvents like DMSO or complex nanodevices.
- Current methods for glycan delivery face limitations in efficiency and cell viability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel, solvent-free method for intracellular glycan delivery.
- To utilize superchaotropic boron clusters as a carrier for glycans.
Main Methods:
- Employing the superchaotropic boron cluster B12Br12 2- for glycan transport.
- Delivering azido-glycans and trehalose into suspension and adherent cells.
- Utilizing the delivered glycans for metabolic oligosaccharide labeling and bioconjugation.
Main Results:
- Successful intracellular delivery of azido-glycans and trehalose without cytotoxic solvents.
- Demonstrated metabolic oligosaccharide labeling of glycoproteins and cell surface glycans.
- Enabled bioconjugation of glycosylated-RNA.
Conclusions:
- Superchaotropic boron clusters offer a practical and simple solution for solvent-free intracellular glycan delivery.
- This approach mitigates the cytotoxic effects associated with traditional delivery methods.
- The method facilitates advanced applications in glycobiology and cellular engineering.
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