SCIENCE AT THE EDGE SEMINAR

Friday, 04 March 2011 at 11:30am

Room 1400 Biomedical and Physical Sciences Bldg.

Refreshments at 11:15

Speaker: Thomas J. Meade
         Department of Chemistry, Molecular Biosciences, Neurobiology and
         Physiology and Radiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

Title:   The Coordination Chemistry of Signal Amplification and Targeting
         for MR Probe Development

Abstract:

During the last decade there has been significant advances in MR contrast
agent design and experimental testing. To overcome the limitations of previous
generations of contrast probes, new agents have incorporated multiple
chelation sites for Gd(III) while optimizing the rotational correlation time,
t_m, targeting, cellular uptake and creating responsive properties.

We have focused on three aspects of probe development with the ultimate goal
of cell patterning and recognition studies. Our approach is to optimize the
key parameters that determine relaxivity into relatively small molecule
coordination complexes by:
i. agents responsive to in vivo physiological or biochemical events
ii. cell-permeable MR agents to increase local concentration and
iii. amplification of the MR signal by attachment to large molecules.

As a result, we have developed a new modular scaffold that incorporates
multiple Gd(III) chelates and functional groups for modification with other
imaging probes or attachment to proteins and particles.