MOLECULAR SENSOR FOR NMR/MRI BASED ON ANALYTE-DEPENDENT SPECTRAL CHANGES OF TEMPORARILY ENCAPSULATED HYPERPOLARIZED 129XE

摘要

The present invention relates to a precursor of a molecular sensor for determining analyte concentrations and/or measuring analyte concentration changes comprising a host for an active nucleus, an NMR-modulating moiety and an interacting moiety, wherein said NMR-modulating moiety changes the resonance frequency or the chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) signal of the active nucleus-host complex, and wherein said interacting moiety specifically responds to an environmental parameter, to an analyte or to a target molecule that binds the analyte or said interacting moiety specifically binds to a target molecule in an analyte-dependent manner. The present invention further relates to a molecular sensor comprising an active nucleus and said precursor. The present invention further relates to a molecular sensor for determining analyte concentrations and/or measuring analyte concentration changes inside a cell, wherein moiety/ies of the sensor are expressed in said cells and then assembled inside said cell. The present invention further relates to uses of the molecular sensors as well as to an in vitro method for determining metal concentration and/or measuring metal concentration changes and a method for diagnosing and/or monitoring treatment of diseases causing changes in metal concentrations.