2-Amino-3'-dialkylaminobiphenyl-based fluorescent intracellular probes for nitric oxide surrogate NO.

Fluorescent probes for nitric oxide (NO), or more frequently for its oxidized surrogate dinitrogen trioxide (NO), have enabled scientists to study the contributions of this signaling molecule to many physiological processes. Seeking to improve upon limitations of other probes, we have developed a family of fluorescent probes based on a 2-amino-3'-dialkylaminobiphenyl core. This core condenses with NO to form benzo[]cinnoline structures, incorporating the analyte into the newly formed fluorophore, which results in product fluorescence with virtually no background contribution from the initial probe.

Targeting Fluorescent Nanodiamonds to Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptors in Tumor.

The increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors is associated with angiogenesis in a growing tumor, presenting potential targets for tumor-selective imaging by way of targeted tracers. Though fluorescent tracers are used for targeted in vivo imaging, the lack of photostability and biocompatibility of many current fluorophores hinder their use in several applications involving long-term, continuous imaging. To address these problems, fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs), which exhibit infinite photostability and excellent biocompatibility, were explored as fluorophores in tracers for targeting VEGF receptors in growing tumors.

Initial Assessment of Variability of Responses to Toxicants in Donor-Specific Endothelial Colony Forming Cells.

There is increased interest in using high throughput assays to characterize human population variability in response to toxicants and drugs. Utilizing primary human endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) isolated from blood would be highly useful for this purpose because these cells are involved in neonatal and adult vasculogenesis. We characterized the cytotoxicity of four known toxic chemicals (NaAsO, CdCl, tributyltin [TBT], and menadione) and their four relatively nontoxic counterparts (NaHAsO, ZnCl, SnCl, and phytonadione, respectively) in eight ECFC clones representing four neonatal donors (2 male and 2 female donors, 2 clones per donor).