Selective Imaging of Damaged Bone Structure (Microcracks) Using a Targeting Supramolecular Eu(III) Complex As a Lanthanide Luminescent Contrast Agent

• Published in: Journal of the American Chemical Society Vol. 131; no. 48; pp. 17542 - 17543
• Main Authors: McMahon, Brian, Mauer, Peter, McCoy, Colin P, Lee, T. Clive, Gunnlaugsson, Thorfinnur
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 09.12.2009
• Subjects: Animals; Bone and Bones - metabolism; Bone and Bones - pathology; Calcium - metabolism; Cattle; Contrast Media - chemistry; Contrast Media - metabolism; Durapatite - metabolism; Europium - chemistry; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Imino Acids - chemistry; Lanthanoid Series Elements - chemistry; Luminescent Agents - chemistry; Luminescent Agents - metabolism; Microscopy, Confocal; Molecular Imaging - methods; Organometallic Compounds - chemistry; Organometallic Compounds - metabolism
• ISSN: 0002-7863; 1520-5126
• DOI: 10.1021/ja908006r

The synthesis and photophysical evaluation of a new supramolecular lanthanide complex is described which was developed as a luminescent contrast agent for bone structure analysis. We show that the Eu(III) emission of this complex is not pH dependent within the physiological pH range and its steady state emission is not significantly modulated by a series of group I and II as well as d-metal ions and that this agent can be successfully employed to image mechanically formed cracks (scratches) in bone samples after 4 or 24 h, using confocal laser-scanning microscopy.