Abstract
Cholesterol is a lipid molecule that plays an essential role in
a number of biological processes, both physiological and
pathological. It is an essential structural element of every
cell membrane, and contributes to functions including
membrane trafficking and signaling. However, high levels of
cholesterol can also lead to harmful conditions such as
cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, studying cholesterol
and its transport within cells in the body remains
challenging with current imaging technologies.
Researchers at Florida Atlantic University have developed a
novel class of compounds that fluoresce when attached to
cholesterol. The compounds use the bifunctional
napthalimide moiety as a fluorescent scaffold which can be
substituted on one end with a head group and through a
linker are connected to a cholesterol moiety at the other
end. The modular structure of these compounds enables
the generation of diverse cholesterol probes with different
membrane and pH-sensitivity, distinct affinities to lipids
and proteins, preference for vesicular or non-vesicular
transport, and other properties. The inventors have created
prototypes of the compounds and demonstrated they can
be internalized by fibroblasts, astrocytes and neurons and
show different distribution and uptake of cholesterol.
FAU seeks to advance this innovation into the marketplace
through licensing or development partnerships.
Benefit
Versatile - Able to generate a variety of probes with custom characteristicsEffective - Tested in several types of cells demonstrating cholesterol distribution and uptakeMarket Application
Basic research for studying cholesterol in disease modelsDiagnostic imaging via cholesterol distribution in tissues and cells
