Novel quinoline-based fluorescent bioimaging probe, KSNP117, for sentinel lymph node mapping

Novel quinoline-based fluorescent bioimaging probe, KSNP117, for sentinel lymph node mapping†

Ahmed A. Elbatrawy,

‡^ab Da Sol Lee,‡^c Sang Bong Lee,‡^d Hui-Jeon Jeon,^e Sijoon Lee,

^c Kyung-ku Kang,^c Soo-Eun Sung,^c Ye Ri Han,^e Sung Jin Cho,^e Dong-Su Kim,

^f Kil Soo Kim,^cg Ghilsoo Nam*^ab and Yong Hyun Jeon

*^ch

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a Center for Neuro-Medicine Brain Science Institute, Korea Institutes of Science and Technology Seoul, South Korea
E-mail: gsnam@kist.re.kr

^b Division of Bio-Med, KIST School Korea University of Science and Technology (UST) Gajeong-ro 217, Daejeon, Youseong-gu, South Korea

^c Laboratory Animal Center, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation Daegu, South Korea
E-mail: jeon9014@gmail.com

^d Vaccine Commercialization Center, Gyeongbuk Institute for Bio industry, No. 5, Industrial 2nd street, Pungsan-eup, Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do 36618, South Korea

^e New Drug Development Center, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation Daegu, South Korea

^f Therapeutics and Biotechnology Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, 141 Gajeongro, Daejeon 34,114, Yuseong, South Korea

^g College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, South Korea

^h Leading-edge Research Center for Drug Discovery and Development for Diabetes and Metabolic Disease, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, South Korea

Abstract

Fluorescent imaging agents with biocompatibility and high sensitivity are urgently required for the accurate detection of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs). Herein, we report the design of a novel quinoline-based fluorescent probe, designated KSNP117, which can be applied as a biomedical imaging agent in the sensitive and quantitative detection of SLNs. KSNP117 exerted no adverse effects on the proliferation of ovary and immune cells and also showed excellent serum stability with photo-brightening effects. In vivo fluorescent imaging revealed the accumulation of KSNP117 in the SLNs of nude mice within 10 min post injection, without in vivo toxicity, which was consistent with the findings of ex vivo imaging. These results support the potential of KSNP117 as a promising lymphatic tracer for biomedical imaging applications.