In vivo bio-imaging using chlorotoxin-based conjugates.
Surgical resection remains the primary component of cancer therapy. The precision required to successfully separate cancer tissue from normal tissue relies heavily on the surgeon's ability to delineate the tumor margins. Despite recent advances in surgical guidance and monitoring systems, intra-operative identification of these margins remains imprecise and directly influences patient prognosis. If the surgeon had improved tools to distinguish these margins, tumor progression and unacceptable morbidity could be avoided. In this article, we review the history of chlorotoxin and its tumor specificity and discuss the research currently being generated to target optical imaging agents to cancer tissue.
Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
Mark R
MR
Stroud
Stacey J
SJ
Hansen
James M
JM
Olson
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D053758:Nanoparticles; D011485:Protein Binding; D012604:Scorpion Venoms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
D003287:Contrast Media; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D012604:Scorpion Venoms; C091539:Chlorotoxin