Dendrimer-Based Signal Amplification of Click-Labelled DNA in Situ

The in vivo incorporation of alkyne modified bases into the genome of cells is today the basis for efficient detection of cell proliferation. Cells are grown in the presence of ethinyl-dU (EdU), fixed and permeabilized. The incorporated alkynes are then efficiently detected using azide-containing fluorophores and the Cu(I) catalyzed alkyne-azide click reaction. In a world where constant improvement of the sensitivity of a given method is driving diagnostic advancement, we developed azide and alkyne modified dendrimers that allow to establish sandwich-type detection assays that show significantly improved signal intensities and signal to noise ratios far beyond of what is currently possible.