Bioharmonophores imaging

Funder	Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Recipient Organization	Imperial College London
Country	United Kingdom
Start Date	Oct 06, 2024
End Date	Mar 30, 2028
Duration	1,271 days
Number of Grantees	2
Roles	Student; Supervisor
Data Source	UKRI Gateway to Research
Grant ID	`2928974`

Grant Description

In this project, we will establish a smart diagnostic probe that utilises the well-known advantages of PSMA-PET tracers with the self-assembly properties of tripeptides that form the core of bioharmonophores.

Specifically, we propose to generate 18F-PSMA-bioharmonophore peptide conjugates as smart imaging agents for prostate diagnosis. Successful targeting of our PET tracer conjugate to cancer cells will lead to their specific accumulation within cells.

The proximity of these conjugates in vesicles will facilitate the self-assembly of the bioharmonophore tripeptides generating a high contrast, pH-resistant, non-toxic nonlinear signal.