Photocatalytic synthesis of functionalized polymers on primary human T cells
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Polymers can be designed to impart new functions to the surfaces of tissues and cells, making them valuable tools for bioengineering applications. Existing grafting-to methods suffer from low polymer grafting efficiencies – due in part to challenging-to-control lipid anchoring strategies. One solution to these limitations is to adopt a grafting-from approach, where polymers are synthesized at defined initiation sites on the cell surface. Previous studies have highlighted the value of cytocompatible photocatalyzed grafting-from polymer chemistries or site-specific covalent anchoring of initiation sites; however, unification of these features remains unexplored. Further, no grafting-from technologies have been applied to surface engineering of primary human cells. To address this gap, we have combined Photo-Induced Electron-Transfer Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain-Transfer (PET-RAFT) chemistry with site selective surface anchoring of a custom traceable oligomeric polymer initiation site. We show that our approach enabled efficient grafting-from chain extension of functionally diverse polymers anchored on cell surface carbohydrates (glycans). The approach was compatible with both an immortalized human cell line and primary human immune cells (T cells). This technology provides a framework for site-selective modification of primary cell surfaces without genetic manipulation.
Source: ChemRxiv
Institution: University of Toronto
Language: English
Subfield: Organic Chemistry
Field: Chemistry
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7213299412