US 11,940,447 B2
Photocleavable mass-tags for multiplexed mass spectrometric imaging of tissues using biomolecular probes
Mark J. Lim, Reading, MA (US); Gargey Yagnik, Hopkinton, MA (US); and Kenneth J. Rothschild, Newton, MA (US)
Assigned to AMBERGEN, INC., Billerica, MA (US)
Filed by AmberGen, Inc., Watertown, MA (US)
Filed on Jul. 12, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/862,990.
Application 17/862,990 is a continuation of application No. 17/399,417, filed on Aug. 11, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/106,990, filed on Oct. 29, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0365097 A1, Nov. 17, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01N 33/68 (2006.01); C07C 271/20 (2006.01); C12Q 1/6841 (2018.01)
CPC G01N 33/6851 (2013.01) [C07C 271/20 (2013.01); C12Q 1/6841 (2013.01); G01N 2400/00 (2013.01); G01N 2458/15 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method, comprising
a) providing a biological sample and a plurality of nucleic acid probes, each of said probes reactive with a different target and conjugated to a photocleavable mass-tag, wherein said photocleavable mass-tags conjugated to said nucleic acid probes comprise a core structure which is conjugated to a mass unit, said core structure comprising a PC-Nucleus having a phenyl ring and photocleavage site, said nucleic acid probes having the following general structure: Mass Unit—Core Structure—Nucleic Acid, wherein said core structure has the structure:

OG Complex Work Unit Chemistry
b) contacting said biological sample with said nucleic acid probes to effect binding of the nucleic acid probes to the targets in said biological sample;
c) illuminating said mass-tags with light so as to photocleave at least a portion of said mass-tags prior to step d); and
d) detecting, using mass spectrometric imaging, said mass-tags, or fragments thereof, as molecular ions.