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.