SGER: Agents for Constrast Enhanced Multi-modal Imaging

Texas Tech University, Lubbock TX

Investigators

Abstract

0201278 Bornhop Under this exploratory research project, a new contrast agent that specifically labels glioma cells and that can provide both MRI and fluorescence signatures will be developed. This proposal seeks to capitalize on the observations that human glial tumors display a high density of peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) binding sites and that the conjugable form of the PBR ligand PK-11195 will preferentially bind to human primary brain tumors. Thus, a new contrast agent (Ln-Q-Y-CTMR-PK11195) that will pass the blood brain barrier and selectively label viable glioma cells will be possible through chemical conjugation of unique polyazamacrocyclic lanthanide chelating agents (Ln-Q-Y-CTMR) to the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor ligand, PK-11195. Under this exploratory effort, cocktails of both the Gd 3+ containing complex to provide macroscopic scale images by MRI, and the Eu 3+ or Tb 3+ species to give microscopic scale fluorescence images from the same tissue will be developed. After the synthesis has been accomplished, specific uptake by PBR expressing glioma cells in-vitro will be established and the influence of linker chain length on complex stability will be investigated.