Nano-particle of -conjugated polymer for near-infrared bio-imaging

近赤外バイオイメージングのための共役高分子ナノ粒子の開発

青木 裕之  

Aoki, Hiroyuki

The objective of the current study is the development of a fluorescent imaging agent with high brightness for the tumor imaging of a mouse. The strategy to enhance the fluorescence signal of a bio-imaging agent is the increase of the absorption of the excitation light and the fluorescence conversion efficiency. We developed a nano-particle fluorescence imaging agent consisting of a -conjugated polymer emitting a fluorescence signal in a near infrared region. A large absorption coefficient and high emission intensity at a near infrared optical window for biological tissue enabled highly sensitive in vivo imaging with a tumor-targeting ability by an EPR effect. The signal intensity from the -conjugated fluorescence imaging agent is larger by two orders of magnitude compared to a quantum dot, which has been known as a brightest imaging agent. The -conjugated polymer nano-particle would be a promising candidate in the in vivo imaging of small animals.