The work in chemistry group focuses on the development of new probes for biomedical imaging and therapy. The projects range from probes for PET, ultrasound, MRI, fluorescence and photoacoustic imaging, to those for photodynamic therapy. A variety of small molecules and proteins have been indentified that can be coupled with these probes to enable targeted delivery. Targeted-delivery approach enhance the effective concentration of the probe at the site of interest and hereby improve image contrast and therapeutic efficacy. In the development of ultrasound contrast agents, in particular, functionalizable hard-shell microbubbles with encapsulation of air, oxygen, nitrogen and other gases of interest, are pursued. The microbubbles are coated with fluorescent ligands for multimodal imaging, coupled with peptides for targeting, and carry drugs for external triggered delivery. For MRI and Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI), ultra-small super paramaganetic iron oxides (USPIOs) are studied. For their use as injected contrast agents we have developed methods to synthesize nano-scaled USPIOs, to stabilize them, and to coat them with targeting agents. In addition, USPIO are used to label cells and tissue-engineered grafts. In non-radiative imaging, near infrared (NIR) absorption chromophores are of interest due to the deep penetration of NIR light. Organic compounds are highly suited for this purpose owing to their favourable pharmacokinetic properties. We envisaged to develop tetrapyrrole-based NIR-chromophores, which show strong absorption/emission as well as phototoxicity useful for theranostic applications. A building block approach is devised towards the synthesis of such chromophores, which allows us to modify periphery and fine tune photo-physical and chemical properties. |
![]() Dr. rer. nat. S. Banala |
Selected publicationsResearch Papers
Reviews / Perspectives
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