PET probes for imaging apoptosis

Stanford researchers at the Rao Lab have developed apoptosis imaging probes with an improved new molecular structure enabling high sensitivity and stability with better performance in vivo.
These probes can image the activity of caspase-3, the executioner enzyme, via a uniquely designed caspase-3-triggered molecular self-assembly process by positron emission tomography (PET).
The early assessment of treatment-induced tumor cell death is of great prognostic value and allows oncologists to timely select the most efficacious treatment using a personalized medicine approach. Since apoptosis is one of the common cell death pathways, there has been strong interest in developing imaging strategies for non-invasive imaging of treatment-induced apoptosis in tumor cells.
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Figure description-a) Illustration of the mechanism of target enabled in-situ ligand aggregation (TESLA); b) approach I through intermolecular bioorthoganol condensation of CBT with cysteine, and approach II via intramolecular cyclization of CHQ with cysteine

Stage of Research