Fluorescent peptides highlight peripheral nerves during surgery in mice

• Published in: Nature biotechnology Vol. 29; no. 4; pp. 352 - 356
• Main Authors: Nguyen, Quyen T, Whitney, Michael A, Crisp, Jessica L, Nguyen, Linda T, Friedman, Beth, Gross, Larry A, Steinbach, Paul, Tsien, Roger Y
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Nature Publishing Group US 01.04.2011; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/1647/1888/2249; 631/61/338; 692/700/565/545; Agriculture; Anatomy & physiology; Animals; Bioinformatics; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedical Engineering/Biotechnology; Biomedicine; Biotechnology; Diagnostic Imaging - methods; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Fluoresceins - metabolism; Fluorescence; Fluorescent Dyes; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health. Pharmaceutical industry; Humans; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Injection; letter; Life Sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Miscellaneous; Morbidity; Nerves, Peripheral; Neurons; Pain; Peptide Library; Peptides; Peptides - metabolism; Peripheral Nerve Injuries; Peripheral Nerves - diagnostic imaging; Physiological aspects; Properties; Radiography; Rodents; Surgery; United States; Peripheral nerve; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Peptides; Mouse; Fluorescent labelling; Surgery; Rodentia; Fluorescence
• ISSN: 1087-0156; 1546-1696
• DOI: 10.1038/nbt.1764

Nerve preservation is an important goal during surgery because accidental transection or injury leads to significant morbidity, including numbness, pain, weakness or paralysis. Nerves are usually identified by their appearance and relationship to nearby structures or detected by local electrical stimulation (electromyography), but thin or buried nerves are sometimes overlooked. Here, we use phage display to select a peptide that binds preferentially to nerves. After systemic injection of a fluorescently labeled version of the peptide in mice, all peripheral nerves are clearly delineated within 2 h. Contrast between nerve and adjacent tissue is up to tenfold, and useful contrast lasts up to 8 h. No changes in behavior or activity are observed after treatment, indicating a lack of obvious toxicity. The fluorescent probe also labels nerves in human tissue samples. Fluorescence highlighting is independent of axonal integrity, suggesting that the probe could facilitate surgical repair of injured nerves and help prevent accidental transection.