Imaging Probe Development Center (IPDC)

Scope of the IPDC

The IPDC will consider for preparation all classes of molecular imaging probes along with their precursors, encompassing all imaging modalities. We particularly work on fluorescent, magnetic resonance and radiolabeled detectable moieties, often bound to selective or specific tissue targeting agents. Chemical compositions can range from all classes of low molecular weight drug-like molecules, natural products and their analogs, peptides along with peptidomimetics and unnatural peptides, carbohydrates, nucleotides and oligonucleotides and their analogs, radioisotopes, metals and radiometals, multifunctional chelating agents, polymers such as dendrimers and poly(ethylene)glycols, proteins such as antibodies, fragments and toxins, and particulates such as nanoparticles and microparticles. A selection of projects undertaken recently at IPDC is illustrative:

• Preparation of novel dye derivatives to enhance analytical identification and interactions of proteins in vitro
• Preparation of a fluorescent tag to track key proteins during prion infection
• Synthesis of organic free radicals as MRI contrast agents
• Synthesis of various gadolinium-chelate dendrimer conjugates for MRI imaging
• Synthesis of fluorescent nucleotide chains for RNA structure & function studies
• Radiosynthesis of ligands for imaging adenosine receptors
• Radiosynthesis of ligands for imaging thyroid function
• Fluorescent nucleotides for DNA-RNA labeling
• Radiolabeled peptide analogs for imaging vasopressin receptors
• Low MW Gadolinium agents for CNS imaging
• Fluorescent cholesterol probes for imaging lipid rafts in order to study signal transduction events in cells
• Syntheses of probes for photoactivation microscopy
• New probes for in vivo detection of HIV-1 infection
• Ligands for use in two-photon excitation studies
• Nanosized MRI and fluorescent agents for cancer imaging
• Dextran and biotin conjugated MRI agents for brain circuitry study

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