Early detection of cancer: Fluorophore-labeled cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors for imaging of overexpression
Thursday, November 7, 2013 - 08:00
in Biology & Nature
Molecules that bind and illuminate proteins specific to tumor cells are key to detecting cancer as early as possible. The cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme is just such a protein, as the concentration of COX-2 is greater in cancer cells than in adjacent normal tissues. Therefore, attaching a suitable fluorescent label to a selective COX-2 inhibitor would be an effective strategy for the noninvasive detection of tumors in which COX-2 levels are elevated.