Nature Communications (Oct 2016)

Spatiotemporal control of cell–cell reversible interactions using molecular engineering

  • Peng Shi,
  • Enguo Ju,
  • Zhengqing Yan,
  • Nan Gao,
  • Jiasi Wang,
  • Jianwen Hou,
  • Yan Zhang,
  • Jinsong Ren,
  • Xiaogang Qu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13088
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 1
pp. 1 – 9

Abstract

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Reversible manipulation of cell-cell interactions has potential applications in basic research and cell-based therapy. Here the authors control cell-cell adhesion in vitrowith light, by modifying the surface sugars of cells to display β-cyclodextrin, which recognises one isoform of light-isomerizable azobenzene linkers.