Publications by authors named "I Hawala"
The most prominent pathophysiological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease is the aggregation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides into senile plaques. Curcumin and its derivatives exhibit a high affinity for binding to Aβ fibrils, effectively inhibiting their growth. This property holds promise for both therapeutic applications and diagnostic molecular imaging.
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- Innovative imaging applications in disease diagnosis are highlighted by the potential of multimodality probes.
- A new chemical strategy is introduced that allows for site-specific double-modification and cyclization of peptide probes.
- This straightforward synthetic approach can be widely used in creating double-labeled peptide multimodality probes.
The GdAAZTA (AAZTA = 6-amino-6-methylperhydro-1,4-diazepinetetraacetic acid) complex represents a platform of great interest for the design of innovative MRI probes due to its remarkable magnetic properties, thermodynamic stability, kinetic inertness, and high chemical versatility. Here, we detail the synthesis and characterization of new derivatives functionalized with four amino acids with different molecular weights and charges: l-serine, l-cysteine, l-lysine, and l-glutamic acid. The main reason for conjugating these moieties to the ligand AAZTA is the in-depth study of the chemical properties in aqueous solution of model compounds that mimic complex structures based on polypeptide fragments used in molecular imaging applications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: The aim of this work was to demonstrate the suitability of AAZTA conjugated to PSMA inhibitor (B28110) labeled with scandium-44 as a new PET tracer for diagnostic imaging of prostate cancer.
Background: Nowadays, scandium-44 has received significant attention as a potential radionuclide with favorable characteristics for PET applications. A polyaminopolycarboxylate heptadentate ligand based on a 1,4-diazepine scaffold (AAZTA) has been thoroughly studied as chelator for Gd ions for MRI applications.
Article Synopsis
- MRI is a key noninvasive method for detecting and staging cancer, utilizing contrast agents to distinguish between healthy and tumor tissues.
- Gd-loaded gold nanoparticles are a new type of MRI contrast agent, where their size, shape, and chemical properties influence their effectiveness.
- Research shows that concave cube gold nanoparticles provide significantly higher relaxation enhancement than spherical ones, primarily due to their interaction with water molecules around them, which could improve the design of more efficient MRI contrast agents.