Fluorescent sensors could help researchers see diabetes in action

Researchers at the University of Bath have created fluorescent molecular probes that can detect changes in glucose levels within living animals, offering scientists a new tool for visualizing sugar uptake and studying metabolic diseases like diabetes in real time. The team designed probes that combine boronic acids, which selectively bind to sugars, with advanced imaging technologies.

These probes were effective in both cultured cells and living zebrafish, allowing researchers to monitor glucose-related processes in real time using multiphoton fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (MP-FLIM). This technique measures changes in the lifetime of fluorescence signals, enabling the visualization of which cells absorb and utilize sugars within a living organism.

The researchers tested the probes in zebrafish, a common model organism for metabolic research, and found that the probes accumulated strongly in the digestive system of zebrafish larvae and responded to changes in glucose levels. Insulin-deficient zebrafish with diabetes-like mutations exhibited significantly reduced fluorescence, demonstrating the probes' ability to detect glucose fluctuations in a living vertebrate.

Professor Sofia I. Pascu, a corresponding author from the University of Bath's Department of Chemistry, stated that the probes can monitor glucose-related processes in real time, representing a significant step toward next-generation tools for investigating metabolic disorders and developing precision diagnostic technologies. The platform has potential for detecting other biologically important carbohydrates and metabolic markers, with applications in earlier diagnosis, drug discovery, and personalized treatment strategies for diseases like diabetes and cancer.