Design and Synthesis of Novel Near-Infrared Fluorescence Probes Based on an Open Conformation of a Cytochrome P450 1B1 Complex for Molecular Imaging of Colorectal Tumors

J Med Chem. 2023 Dec 14;66(23):16032-16050. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01474. Epub 2023 Nov 29.

Abstract

Cytochrome P450 1B1 (CYP1B1) is induced during the early stage of cancer and is universally overexpressed in tumors. Thus, it was considered as a potential biomarker for the monitoring of cancer. In this study, we designed and synthesized CYP1B1-targeted near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence molecular probes based on the latest reported open conformation of the CYP1B1-α-naphthoflavone (ANF) complex. According to the architecture of the open channel, we introduced linkers and a Cy5.5 fragment at the 5' position of ANF derivatives with strong CYP1B1 inhibitory activity to obtain probes 19-21. Then, in vitro cell-based studies showed that the probes could be enriched in tumor cells by binding to CYP1B1. During in vivo and ex vivo imaging in a xenograft mouse model, probe 19 with the best binding affinity was proven to be able to identify tumor sites in both fluorescence imaging and photoacoustic imaging modes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Colorectal Neoplasms* / diagnostic imaging
  • Colorectal Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP1B1 / chemistry
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Molecular Imaging
  • Molecular Probes

Substances

  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP1B1
  • Molecular Probes