Summary
Dr. Patrick Page-McCaw has developed synthetic analogs of N-acetylgalactosamine, finally enabling researchers to track the biosynthesis of chondroitin sulfate along with other glycans. Stunning images demonstrate incorporation of these metabolic labeling reagents to track neurodevelopmental processes in a zebrafish model system. Notably, the metabolic label can be detected post vivo using a standard "click" chemistry reaction. Further, Dr. Page-McCaw has optimized a background reduction strategy to complement this technology by improving the signal-to-noise ratio.
These reagents are the first to successfully label anabolism of the glycan chondroitin sulfate, a marker that can be used to trace extracellular matrix production, central nervous system injury, and neural development. These reagents would be highly useful in research areas such as brain and spinal cord injury, Alzheimer’s disease, and neurogenesis.
Key Advantages
- First-to-market metabolic chondroitin sulfate labeling reagents
- Compatible with simple detection strategies
- Synthesis is easy, efficient, and inexpensive offering an attractive margin