Deep Tissue Imaging Agents

About

This technology is a set of novel near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent compounds for simultaneously imaging and killing cancer cells. NIR fluorescence is an emerging biomedical imaging technique that has the potential to provide surgeons with highly specific images of the target tissues. Improved bioimaging systems with deeper tissue penetration are needed to improve the cancer patient survival rates and outcomes. However, the main obstacle to the expansion of this technology is the lack of suitable fluorescent agents.

The GSU compounds are designed specifically for such NIR imaging, for deeper tissue penetration and higher-quality images. Conjugating the compounds to targeting agents may allow use for cancer diagnosis and surgery. In addition, in vitro testing of several of these compounds exhibited higher-level cytotoxicity against triple-negative breast cancer cell lines than docetaxel. 

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and accounted for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020. There is a great need for high-quality diagnostic and surgical imaging agents and new therapeutics to combat both primary tumors and metastasis (which accounts for the majority of cancer-related deaths). However, most commercially available agents do not function as both imaging and therapeutic compounds.