Researchers at the University of Bath have developed innovative fluorescent molecular probes capable of tracking glucose changes within living animals, offering new insights into sugar metabolism and potential applications in disease diagnosis and treatment.
Researchers at the University of Bath have developed fluorescent molecular probes that can track glucose changes inside living animals, a development that could give scientists a clearer view of how sugars are taken up and used in real time. The work, published in the journal Advanced Science, is aimed at improving research into diabetes, cancer and other metabolic disorders, where abnormal carbohydrate handling plays a central role.
The Bath team designed the probes by combining boronic acids, chemicals known to bind selectively to sugars, with advanced imaging methods that can follow molecular activity in living tissue. In tests on cultured cells and zebrafish, the probes detected shifts in glucose levels and allowed researchers to map which cells were absorbing sugar. The approach relies on multiphoton fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy, or MP-FLIM, which measures how long a fluorescent signal lasts rather than just how bright it is, giving the scientists a more detailed read-out of biological activity.
In zebrafish larvae, the probes accumulated in the digestive system and changed fluorescence when the animals were exposed to extra glucose. The researchers also used the system to distinguish healthy fish from zebrafish carrying an insulin-deficient, diabetes-like mutation. Those animals showed lower fluorescence, consistent with higher glucose levels. According to professor Sofia I. Pascu, one of the corresponding authors, the work shows that synthetic carbohydrate-recognising probes can monitor glucose-related processes in living organisms in real time. Dr David Gurevich, another corresponding author, said the results show boronic acid-based probes can report on glucose fluctuations driven by both sugar exposure and insulin deficiency.
The findings add to a broader effort to build better tools for studying metabolism in living systems. Previous research has included fluorescent protein indicators, wash-free glucose transport probes and assays for continuously detecting glucose and insulin in animals, but the Bath team says its platform offers a new route to visualise sugar handling in intact organisms. The researchers believe the same strategy could be adapted to other biologically important carbohydrates and metabolic markers, with possible uses in earlier diagnosis, drug discovery and personalised treatment strategies. The project involved collaborators from Bath, Birmingham, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, the Spanish National Research Council and STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, and included the late professor John S. Fossey, whose work on boronic acid chemistry helped shape the field.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
