摘要 |
The present invention provides a novel cellular fixative composition and method of cellular fixing and cellular analysis wherein cells may be fixed for further analysis without destroying the cell's surface markers, cellular morphology, and the cell's light scattering properties. Treatment of cells with the fixative as described herein also allows antibodies or other desired components to enter the cell through the cellular membrane, without allowing important contents of the cell to escape. As an added benefit, the fixative composition of the invention may also kill or at least inactivate or reduce the activity of deadly virus contained in the cell. In its broadest aspect, the presently claimed fixative composition comprises at least three components, and in more preferred embodiments, four components. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the fixative composition described herein comprises at least one compound suitable for increasing the permeability of a cellular membrane, at least one compound that facilitates transportation of components across cellular membranes, at least one detergent, and at least one compound having the structure: R1R2R3R4R5 - Ar - X |