Preclinical Imaging
Ultrasound Contrast Agents for Basic Science and Drug Development Research
Targeson’s ultrasound contrast agents are used for ultrasound-based molecular and functional imaging in pre-clinical research. These products are suitable for use in many animal models of disease, as well as for molecular screening in vitro. Targeson offers three product families:
Targestar-P is a perfusion contrast agent useful for imaging blood pool imaging blood flow. Targestar-P may be used to visualize and quantitate vascular perfusion in a variety of tissues using ultrasound imaging. The agent is coated with a non-thrombogenic polymer which enables it to travel freely through the vasculature, and the agent’s size (2.5 um) prevents it from leaving the intravascular space. The agent may be detected with ultrasound probes in the 1-15 MHz range, using harmonic or other contrast-specific imaging schemes. High-frequency ultrasound imaging in the 20-40 MHz with these agents is also possible.
Targeson also offers labelling contrast agents in two coupling chemistries for molecular imaging and other targeting applications. Targestar-B is a microbubble that is coated with a brush of biotin. The streptavidin coupling reagent provided with the Targestar-B kit can be used to coat a target surface to create an easy-to-use in vitro target:ligand system, or as a cross-linker for conjugation of a biotinylated ligand to the surface of the microbubble. Targestar-SA is a similar microbubble that is coated with streptavidin. Biotinylated targeting ligands, such as monoclonal antibodies, peptides, glyococonjugates, and nucleic acids, can be conjugated to the surface of the agent in one simple step. The Targestar-SA platform enables targeting a nearly limitless variety of molecular markers.
Targes has also developed a single-step contrast agent family, known as Visistar. The first product in the Visistar family, Visistar Integrin, is a lipid microbubble coated with a ligand specific for alpha-v beta-3 integrin. The targeting ligand is conjugated to the microbubble surface using a covalent, biocompatible coupling chemistry. Targeson is developing additional Visistar agents for applications including Crohn’s disease, atherosclerosis, and thrombosis. We can also conjugate user-selected ligands to our microbubbles as a custom synthesis– contact Targeson Technical Support for details.
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