A Metabolic Glycan Labelling Based Approach for Highly Selective Gastrointestinal Delivery

Metabolic glycan labelling utilises unnatural sugar analogues to decorate cell surfaces with specific functional groups, enabling specific delivery of probes through bioorthogonal targeting, a Nobel Prize-winning approach. While this approach has been used for tumours, its potential in intestinal tissues via oral administration is unexplored. This study employed DBCO-sugar to modify intestinal surfaces, facilitating the attachment of 'clickable' particles to potentially extend their residence in the gut. Successful labelling of mucus in cells and tissues was demonstrated, highlighting promising avenues for the use of metabolic glycan labelling in targeted intestinal drug delivery.