Abstract
Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) are up-regulated in ischemic tissue and play pivotal roles in promoting angiogenesis. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate two fluorophore-conjugated peptide probes specific to VEGFR and MMP for dual-targeted in vivo monitoring of angiogenesis in a murine model of hindlimb ischemia. To this end, VEGFR-Probe and MMP-Probe were developed by conjugating distinct near-infrared fluorophores to VEGFR-binding and MMP substrate peptides, respectively. VEGFR-Probe exhibited specific binding to VEGFR on HUVECs, and self-quenched MMP-Probe produced strong fluorescence intensity in the presence of MMPs in vitro. Subsequently, VEGFR-Probe and MMP-Probe were successfully utilized for time course in vivo visualization of VEGFR or MMP, respectively. Simultaneous visualization provided information regarding the spatial distribution of these proteins, including areas of co-localization. This dual-targeted in vivo imaging approach will be useful for understanding the detailed mechanism of angiogenesis and for evaluating therapeutic angiogenesis.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1641-1654 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | Amino Acids |
Volume | 48 |
Issue number | 7 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2016 Jul 1 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work was supported by Nano-Convergence Foundation ( www.nanotech2020.org ) funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP, Korea) & the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE, KOREA) [project name: Development and Commercialization of Nanoparticle Sensor for Detecting Protease Activity], Development of High Medical Technology Project (HI14C2755) of KHIDI, and the Intramural Research Programs of KIST.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2016, Springer-Verlag Wien.
Keywords
- Angiogenesis
- Fluorescence imaging
- Matrix metalloproteinase
- Molecular imaging
- Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry
- Clinical Biochemistry
- Organic Chemistry