Bioconjugate Chemistry · 2000 · 163 citations · 9 references
MedicineChemical BiologyPharmaceuticsBiomedical ImagingIntracellular TransportMolecular ImagingCell-penetrating PeptidesContrast AgentsMagnetic Resonance Contrast MechanismsMagnetic Resonance ImagingMagnetic Resonance Molecular ImagingMolecular Probe DevelopmentIodinated Contrast AgentsMacrocyclic CompoundsMagnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast AgentsMolecular Contrast AgentsMolecular SensingParamagnetic Contrast AgentsParamagnetic SpeciesPeptide-based Imaging Agents
A major obstacle to using paramagnetic MR contrast agents for in vivo cell tracking or molecular sensing is their generally low cellular uptake. In this study, we show that a paramagnetically labeled DOTA chelator derivatized with a 13-mer HIV-tat peptide is efficiently internalized into mammalian cells. Intracellular concentrations were attained that were readily detectable by MR imaging using both gadolinium and dysprosium chelates. Using this paradigm, it should be feasible to internalize a variety of chemically different agents into mammalian cells.
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