In This Issue Pnas

摘要

Diagnostics for brain diseases such as ischemic stroke, multiple sclerosis, and HIV-related dementia generally rely on images obtained by using MRI. However, such images typically reveal onlyrnbrain changes that occur late in the disease's progression, after the brain has been damaged. To diagnose brain diseases in earlier stages, Sander van Kas-teren et al. designed glyconano particles with glycan ligands such as sialyl Lewis~X that allow visualization of acute inflammation. The sialyl Lewis~X group on the reagent specifically tarrngets the CD62 carbohydrate-binding transmembrane proteins in the brain that are up-regulated in the inflammatory response to brain disease. A cross-linked, amine-functionalized, dextran-coated particle forms the core of the reagent, with an S-cyanomethyl functional group acting as a masked reactive group for the attached carbohydrate groups. In vitro biomarker binding assays and in vivo targeting and imaging confirmed the selectivity of the gly conanoparticle binding with the CD62 proteins. Furthermore, the high iron content of the glyconanoparticles improved detection on MRI scans. The authors say that such high-iron glyconanoparticles raise the possibility of detecting brain diseases in the preclinical stage.