General Electric Company

Jeannette Christine DePuy

Michael James Rishel

Brian James Grimmond

Srabani Bhaumik

Eric Dustin Agdeppa

June Klimash

Rong Zhang

Michael Todd Luttrell

Anton Beletskii

Mary Elizabeth Spilker

In one aspect, the present invention provides a contrast enhancement agent comprising an iron chelate having structure I and salts thereof wherein Ris independently at each occurrence a hydroxy group, a C-Chydroxyalkyl group, or a C-Calkyl group, and b is 0-4; R-Rare independently at each occurrence hydrogen, a C-Chydroxyalkyl group, or a C-Calkyl group, with the proviso that at least one of R-Ris a hydroxy group or a C-Chydroxyalkyl group; and wherein Q is one or more charge balancing counterions. Also provided are a metal chelating ligand having structure IX and medical formulations comprising the contrast enhancement agent I.

Hydroxylated contrast enhancement agents

In one aspect, the present invention provides a contrast enhancement agent comprising an iron chelate having structure I wherein Ris independently at each occurrence a hydroxy group, a C-Chydroxyalkyl group, or a C-Calkyl group, and b is 0-4; R-Rare independently at each occurrence hydrogen, a C-Chydroxyalkyl group, or a C-Calkyl group, with the proviso that at least one of R-Ris a hydroxy group or a C-Chydroxyalkyl group; and wherein Q is a charge balancing counterion. Also provided is a metal chelating ligand having structure IX and medical formulations comprising the contrast enhancement I.

Provided herein are methods for imaging an optically labeled target cell implanted in vivo using a reporter construct that encodes an enzyme that is not endogenous to the target cell. The disclosed methods include the steps of: (a) introducing target cell transformed with non-endogenous enzyme into a mammalian subject; (b) contacting the transformed target cell with a cell-permeable soluble fluorescent dye; and (c) observing a fluorescent signal generated by the target cell present in the mammalian subject. In some embodiments, the non-endogenous enzyme comprises a nitroreductase. In some embodiments, the methods may also include the step of tracking the fluorescent target cells in the mammalian subject over time.

In vivo optical imaging

Provided herein are methods of monitoring inflammatory cell migration in a mammal. The methods include the steps of: providing a donor mammalian subject; introducing an inflammatory agent into the donor mammal to create a granuloma; isolating granuloma-derived nucleated cells from the granuloma of the donor mammalian subject; labeling the granuloma-derived nucleated cells with an optical agent; providing a recipient mammalian subject with inflamed tissue; introducing the granuloma-derived nucleated cells into a recipient mammalian subject at a site remote from site where the inflammatory agent was introduced; and imaging the recipient mammalian subject using an optical system. The methods may also include analysing the distribution of the labeled granuloma-derived cells in the recipient mammal.

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Burnt Hills, NY, United States of America

Jeannette Christine DePuy