Imaging methods and compositions comprising fluorescent dyes associated with viral components for nerve imaging

• US 8,361,775 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2009
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Original Assignee: Novadaq Technologies, Inc. (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Flower, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): MOSHER, MARY
• Application Number:
  US12/466,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20090285762A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,356 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 435/235.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 35/76 Viruses; Subviral particles; Bacteriophages
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 35/763 Herpes virus
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 47/6901 Conjugates being cells, cell fragments, viruses, ghosts, red blood cells or viral vectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 49/0021 the fluorescent group being a small organic molecule
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 49/0034 Indocyanine green, i.e. ICG, cardiogreen
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 49/0041 Xanthene dyes, used in vivo, e.g. administered to a mice, e.g. rhodamines, rose Bengal in vivo G01N
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 49/0043 Fluorescein, used in vivo
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 49/0045 the fluorescent agent being a peptide or protein used for imaging or diagnosis in vivo
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 49/0056 Peptides, proteins, polyamino acids
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 49/0097 Cells, viruses, ghosts, red blood cells, viral vectors, used for imaging or diagnosis in vivo

Abstract

Disclosed herein are compositions and methods for imaging nerve cells. The composition comprises a fluorescent dye; and a viral component selected from a neurotropic, replication-defective virus, a viral protein of a neurotropic virus, and a capsid of a neurotropic virus. Although the fluorescent dye in itself cannot penetrate nerve cells, the fluorescent dye is bound to the viral component to form a dye/viral component complex that is capable of penetrating nerve cells.

Claims

1. A composition comprising:

a fluorescent dye; and

a neurotropic herpes varicellae unable to replicate in nerve cells,

wherein the fluorescent dye is bound to the virus to form a complex that is capable of penetrating nerve cells.

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the dye is selected from indocyanine green, infracyanine green, green fluorescent dye, fluorescein isothiocyanate, rhodamine, phycoerythrin, phycocyanin, allophycocyanin, o-phthaldehyde, fluorescamine, Rose Bengal, trypan blue, fluoro-gold, 3-indocyanine-green-acyl-1,3-thiazolidine-thione, green fluorescent protein, red fluorescent protein, yellow fluorescent protein, blue fluorescent protein and other fluorescent proteins.

3. The composition of claim 2, wherein the dye is indocyanine green.