Visualizing Macrophage Polarization through Fluorescent mRNA Profiling
Miaomiao Xu,
Siyuan Wei,
Tong Su,
Die Ma,
Zhixuan Wang,
Dan Zhu,
Lixing Weng,
Xianguang Ding
Affiliations
Miaomiao Xu
State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biosensors, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
Siyuan Wei
State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biosensors, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
Tong Su
State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biosensors, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
Die Ma
State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biosensors, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
Zhixuan Wang
State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biosensors, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
Dan Zhu
State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biosensors, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
Lixing Weng
State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biosensors, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
Xianguang Ding
State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biosensors, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
Macrophages, known for their phenotypic plasticity, play a critical role in maintaining homeostasis and inflammation-related pathogenesis. Although identifying diverse macrophage phenotypes holds promise for enhancing diagnoses and treatments of diseases mediated by macrophages, existing methodologies for differentiating macrophages often lack precision. They are limited by the cumbersome procedures that require large-scale equipment, such as flow cytometry and transcriptomic analysis. In this context, we have engineered fluorescent polyadenine (polyA)-mediated sticky flares that enable practical visualization of macrophages. This technology facilitates the highly sensitive detection of macrophage phenotypes through the specific recognition of intracellular mRNAs, permitting in situ imaging. Our approach demonstrates the potential for determining macrophage polarization status at the single-cell level within dynamic immune microenvironments, thereby providing crucial diagnostic and prognostic information that could guide the development of tailored treatments for macrophage-related diseases in personalized medicine.
