Visualizing inflammation with an M1 macrophage selective probe via GLUT1 as the gating target

Studying the specific roles of macrophage subsets has been hampered by a lack of subset-specific probes. Here the authors report an M1 selective fluorescent probe named CDr17, and demonstrate the suitability of this probe for tracking M1 macrophages in vivo. Macrophages play crucial roles in protecting our bodies from infection and cancers. As macrophages are multi-functional immune cells, they have diverse plastic subsets, such as M1 and M2, derived from naive M0 cells. Subset-specific macrophage probes are essential for deciphering and monitoring the various activation of macrophages, but developing such probes has been challenging. Here we report a fluorescent probe, CDr17, which is selective for M1 macrophages over M2 or M0. The selective staining mechanism of CDr17 is explicated as Gating-Oriented Live-cell Distinction (GOLD) through overexpressed GLUT1 in M1 macrophages. Finally, we demonstrate the suitability of CDr17 to track M1 macrophages in vivo in a rheumatoid arthritis animal model.

Automated summary

This study presents a fluorescent probe named CDr17 that selectively targets M1 macrophages. The probe shows potential for tracking M1 macrophages in vivo and provides a valuable tool for studying macrophage activation and function. The development of subset-specific probes is crucial for understanding the diverse roles of macrophages.