Description
Associated with tumor aggression, cathepsins are a family of proteases that are pivotal components of signaling pathways that can enhance cancer cell growth and inflammation. Within the human lysosomal cysteine cathepsin family, there are 11 members, including cathepsin B, L, S, and Plasmin. As a family, cysteine cathepsins are involved in the response to anticancer therapy within the tumor microenvironment and play crucial roles in the development of resistance to therapeutics. In particular, cathepsin B expression correlates with the invasive and metastatic capabilities of many tumors, such as in breast cancer where high expression levels of cathepsin B have been linked to highly aggressive tumors. Cathepsin B is also upregulated in a variety of inflammatory cells (including eosinophils, neutrophils, and macrophages).
IVISense Cat B 680 FAST™ is a Cathepsin B activatable fluorescent probe that is optically silent upon injection and produces fluorescent signal after cleavage by Cathepsin B produced by inflammatory cells and tumor cells. IVISense Cat B 680 FAST may be used to monitor inflammation, tumor activity, progression of disease and the efficacy of therapeutic treatment in applications such as oncology, inflammation, cardiovascular disease and some neurological diseases.
IVISense Cat B 680 FAST is a member of a family of activatable fluorescent imaging agents comprising a novel architecture, termed F.A.S.T. (Fluorescent Activatable Sensor Technology) that confers an improved pharmacokinetic profile with a broader range of early imaging time points. This architecture also offers higher target-specific signal with reduced background.
