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Summary: Synthesis and Characterization of a Macrocyclic Near-Infrared Optical
Scaffold
Yunpeng Ye, Wen Ping Li, Carolyn J. Anderson, Jeffery Kao, Gregory V. Nikiforovich,§ and
Samuel Achilefu*,
Departments of Radiology, Chemistry, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington UniVersity,
St. Louis, Missouri 63110
Received January 15, 2003; E-mail: achilefus@mir.wustl.edu
Fluorescence-emitting molecules continue to play a major role
in all facets of chemistry, materials science, and life sciences. With
the advent of molecular medicine, the challenge for chemists is to
develop new photoactive molecules that can probe specific molec-
ular events and inhibit pathophysiological processes. Light in the
near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths is particularly attractive to study
chemical and biological processes in tissue because its absorption
and scattering by endogenous biomolecules are minimal and, hence,
can penetrate into deep tissues without the accompanying autof-
luorescence that occurs in the UV/visible wavelengths.1,2
Recent studies have shown that conjugating NIR fluorescent
compounds to bioactive peptides and proteins is a reliable method
to selectively deliver the optical probes to tumors, resulting in the
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