This technology is a suite of fluorescent reagents for imaging and quantifying carbon monoxide (CO) in biological samples such as cells, tissue, and blood. Compared to existing methods of CO sensing and quantification for research, these CO detection probes feature CO sensing exclusivity, ultralow background fluorescence, ultrahigh sensitivity, and offer more simple methodology. Fluorescence occurs only in the presence of CO. This technology could be incorporated into test kits for laboratory use in ex vivo and in vivo studies of cell cultures, tissue, and blood.
Existing CO probes face challenges in specificity, sensitivity, and toxicity. Problems with current probes are related to mechanisms of probe function, and the use of CO releasing molecules (CORMs) to produce surrogate CO targets. There are no CO probes currently available on the market. There is a significant need for tools that enable highly sensitive and selective detection of CO across a range of samples, advancing studies to understand dose-response relationships.
Patent Status
PCT Pending; WO2024030944A1 - Carbon monoxide probe molecules - Google Patents
Publications
De Novo Construction of Fluorophores via CO Insertion-Initiated Lactamization: A Chemical Strategy toward Highly Sensitive and Highly Selective Turn-On Fluorescent Probes for Carbon Monoxide | Journal of the American Chemical Society