Molecular Imaging of a Thrombus Using Fibrin-Targeted Peptide

Catherine Hagearty-Mattern, Lauren Endres

College of Arts and Sciences, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Utica, USA

Our group proposed an innovative methodology using fibrin-based fluorescence agents to detect fibrin accumulation in blood clots at the point of care during a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This procedure involves stent implantation, which can subsequently lead to stent-thrombosis; thus, the detection of blood clots at the point of care is essential for prognosis and patient care. Currently, a limited number of fluorescence agents are available for near-infrared fluorescent (NIRF) imaging, and their synthetic methods are inefficient, resulting in low yields and the degradation of fluorescent dyes. Thus, there is a tremendous need for better methods of synthesizing fibrin-targeted NIRF thrombus imaging agents for use in molecular imaging and stent healing. As such, our group held a fibrin-based coagulation study to test the efficacy of a fibrin-targeted fluorescent probe, FTP11-AF555, for use in molecular imaging.