Cell–cell interactions play an important role
in many biological
processes, and various methods have been developed for controlling
the cell–cell interactions. However, the effective and rapid
control of intercellular interactions remains challenging. Herein,
we report a novel, rapid, and effective electrochemical strategy without
destroying the basic life processes for the dynamic control of intercellular
interactions via liposome fusion. In the proposed system, bioorthogonal
chemical groups and hydroquinone (HQ)- and aminooxy (AO)-tethered
ligands were modified on the surface of living cells on the basis
of the liposome fusion, enabling dynamical intercellular assemblies.
Upon application of the corresponding oxidative potential, the “off-state”
HQ could be oxidized to the “on-state” quinone (Q),
which subsequently reacts with AO-tethered ligands to form stable
oxime linkages under physiological conditions. This reaction effectively
shortens the distance between cells, promoting the formation of cell
clusters. When the corresponding reverse reductive potential is applied,
the oxime linkage is cleaved, resulting in the release of the cells.
Furthermore, we employed HQ- and AO-tethered ligands to modify mitochondria,
inducing mitochondrial aggregation. This noninvasive and label-free
strategy allows for the dynamic reversible regulation of intercellular
interactions, enhancing our understanding of intercellular communication
networks, and has the potential for improving the antitumor therapy
efficacy.