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Optical Imaging Probes

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Colorants".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 July 2021) | Viewed by 7828

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institut de Chimie Moléculaire de l'Université de Bourgogne (ICMUB) CNRS UMR 6302, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, ICMUB UMR6302, 9 avenue Alain Savary, 21000 Dijon, France
Interests: molecular imaging; BODIPYs; aza-BODIPYs; NIR I and NIR II optical imaging probes; theranostics; bimodal probes for molecular imaging; metal-based anticancer agents

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Guest Editor
Institut de Chimie Moléculaire de l'Université de Bourgogne (ICMUB) UMR 6302 CNRS Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, ICMUB UMR6302, 9 avenue Alain Savary, 21000 Dijon, France
Interests: bio(in)organic chemistry; molecular imaging; organometallic chemistry; synthetic chemistry; theranostics; metal-based anticancer agents

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Co-Guest Editor
Institute for Advanced Biosciences INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR5309 UGA, Allée des Alpes-Site Santé, 38700 La Tronche, France
Interests: cancer biology; imaging; BNCT; elemental imaging; activable X-ray nanodrugs; theranostic compounds
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Among the different molecular imaging techniques, optical molecular imaging has beendeveloped significantly during the last decade. Indeed, it presents unique advantages, such as being a non-ionizing and cheap technique, and offers high sensitivity, high resolution, and multichannel capability. Being perfect for cellular investigations, it has also gained a lot of interest in the preclinical field, but also, more recently, in clinics dealing with the development of fluorescence-guided surgery. Therefore, the number of reported in vivo suitable optical probes has also increased exponentially, especially NIR I and NIR II emitting probes, with the aim of enriching the currently very poor library of clinically approved fluorophores. This Special Issue of Molecules will focus on the latest developments in optical imaging probes’ development for in vitro, in vivo, and clinical applications. It will particularly concern the development of organic fluorophores, inorganic luminescent probes (such as lanthanides or luminescent metal complexes), smart optical probes, optically based theranostics, luminescent nanoparticles, NIR I and NIR II fluorophores, bimodal imaging probes, and photoacoustic imaging probes. Original research results and reviews are encouraged, from the synthesis of optical probes to their molecular imaging applications.

Prof. Dr. Goze Christine
Prof. Dr. Ewen Bodio
Prof. Dr. Lucie Sancey
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Optical molecular imaging
  • Cellular imaging
  • Preclinical imaging
  • Fluorescence-assisted surgery
  • Smart probes
  • Photoacoustic imaging
  • Organic fluorophores
  • Luminescent probes
  • Multimodal imaging
  • NIR I and NIR II fluorophores
  • Luminescent nanoparticles
  • Optical theranostics.

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 3745 KiB  
Article
Assessing G4-Binding Ligands In Vitro and in Cellulo Using Dimeric Carbocyanine Dye Displacement Assay
by Nakshi Desai, Viraj Shah and Bhaskar Datta
Molecules 2021, 26(5), 1400; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26051400 - 5 Mar 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3018
Abstract
G-quadruplexes (G4) are the most actively studied non-canonical secondary structures formed by contiguous repeats of guanines in DNA or RNA strands. Small molecule mediated targeting of G-quadruplexes has emerged as an attractive tool for visualization and stabilization of these structures inside the cell. [...] Read more.
G-quadruplexes (G4) are the most actively studied non-canonical secondary structures formed by contiguous repeats of guanines in DNA or RNA strands. Small molecule mediated targeting of G-quadruplexes has emerged as an attractive tool for visualization and stabilization of these structures inside the cell. Limited number of DNA and RNA G4-selective assays have been reported for primary ligand screening. A combination of fluorescence spectroscopy, AFM, CD, PAGE, and confocal microscopy have been used to assess a dimeric carbocyanine dye B6,5 for screening G4-binding ligands in vitro and in cellulo. The dye B6,5 interacts with physiologically relevant DNA and RNA G4 structures, resulting in fluorescence enhancement of the molecule as an in vitro readout for G4 selectivity. Interaction of the dye with G4 is accompanied by quadruplex stabilization that extends its use in primary screening of G4 specific ligands. The molecule is cell permeable and enables visualization of quadruplex dominated cellular regions of nucleoli using confocal microscopy. The dye is displaced by quarfloxin in live cells. The dye B6,5 shows remarkable duplex to quadruplex selectivity in vitro along with ligand-like stabilization of DNA G4 structures. Cell permeability and response to RNA G4 structures project the dye with interesting theranostic potential. Our results validate that B6,5 can serve the dual purpose of visualization of DNA and RNA G4 structures and screening of G4 specific ligands, and adds to the limited number of probes with such potential. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Imaging Probes)
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11 pages, 886 KiB  
Article
A Novel Dual Fluorochrome Near-Infrared Imaging Probe for Potential Alzheimer’s Enzyme Biomarkers-BACE1 and Cathepsin D
by Jenny M. Tam, Lee Josephson, Alexander R. Pilozzi and Xudong Huang
Molecules 2020, 25(2), 274; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25020274 - 9 Jan 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4186
Abstract
A molecular imaging probe to fluorescently image the β-site of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) and cathepsin D (CatD) enzymes associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was designed and synthesized. This imaging probe was built upon iron oxide nanoparticles (cross-linked [...] Read more.
A molecular imaging probe to fluorescently image the β-site of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) and cathepsin D (CatD) enzymes associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was designed and synthesized. This imaging probe was built upon iron oxide nanoparticles (cross-linked dextran iron oxide nanoparticles, or CLIO). Peptide substrates containing a terminal near-infrared fluorochrome (fluorophore emitting at 775 nm for CatD or fluorophore emitting at 669 nm for BACE1) were conjugated to the CLIO nanoparticles. The CatD substrate contained a phenylalanine-phenylalanine cleavage site more specific to CatD than BACE1. The BACE1 substrate contained the sequence surrounding the leucine-asparagine cleavage site of the BACE1 found in the Swedish mutation of APP, which is more specific to BACE1 than CatD. These fluorescently-labeled peptide substrates were then conjugated to the nanoparticle. The nanoparticle probes were purified by gel filtration, and their fluorescence intensities were determined using a fluorescence plate reader. The CatD peptide substrate demonstrated a 15.5-fold increase in fluorescence when incubated with purified CatD enzyme, and the BACE1 substrate exhibited a 31.5-fold increase in fluorescence when incubated with purified BACE1 enzyme. Probe specificity was also demonstrated in the human H4 neuroglioma cells and the H4 cells stably transfected with BACE1 in which the probe monitored enzymatic cleavage. In the H4 and H4-BACE1 cells, BACE1 and active CatD activity increased, an occurrence that was reflected in enzyme expression levels as determined by immunoblotting. These results demonstrate the applicability of this probe for detecting potential Alzheimer’s enzyme biomarkers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Imaging Probes)
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