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Cartilage‐Specific Near‐Infrared Fluorophores for Biomedical Imaging
Author(s) -
Hyun Hoon,
Owens Eric A.,
Wada Hideyuki,
Levitz Andrew,
Park GwangLi,
Park Min Ho,
Frangioni John V.,
Henary Maged,
Choi Hak Soo
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.201502287
Subject(s) - cartilage , fibrocartilage , fluorophore , hyaline cartilage , chemistry , fluorescence , biophysics , articular cartilage , biomedical engineering , nanotechnology , osteoarthritis , anatomy , pathology , materials science , medicine , biology , optics , physics , alternative medicine
A novel class of near‐infrared fluorescent contrast agents was developed. These agents target cartilage with high specificity and this property is inherent to the chemical structure of the fluorophore. After a single low‐dose intravenous injection and a clearance time of approximately 4 h, these agents bind to all three major types of cartilage (hyaline, elastic, and fibrocartilage) and perform equally well across species. Analysis of the chemical structure similarities revealed a potential pharmacophore for cartilage targeting. Our results lay the foundation for future improvements in tissue engineering, joint surgery, and cartilage‐specific drug development.