Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41000778›Full record

ArticlebioRxiv : the preprint server for biology2025

Engineering NIR probes to enhance affinity and clinical workflow compatibility for prostate cancer imaging.

Gauri S Malankar, Dani A Szafran, Gourav Kumar, Joshua Pace, Mackenzie Devereux, Kai Tao, Michelle Gomes, William S Greer, Cody C Rounds, Anas M Masillati and 6 more

Abstract readPreprint
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Gauri S MalankarDepartment Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97201, USA.
Dani A SzafranDepartment Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97201, USA.
Gourav KumarDepartment Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97201, USA.
Joshua PaceDepartment of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Mackenzie DevereuxCancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97201, USA.
Kai TaoCancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97201, USA.
Michelle GomesCancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97201, USA.
William S GreerDepartment Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97201, USA.
Cody C RoundsDepartment Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97201, USA.
Anas M MasillatiDepartment Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97201, USA.
Seseel GergisDepartment Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97201, USA.
Hayden LedvinaDepartment Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97201, USA.
Melissa H WongKnight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97201, USA.
Mark J NiedreDepartment of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Lei G WangDepartment Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97201, USA.
Summer L GibbsDepartment Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97201, USA.

Funding

Multichannel Fluorescence Guided Surgery Tools Enabling Simultaneous Cancer Margin and Nerve Visualization in ProstatectomyR01CA271532 · NCI · OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY · PI Summer Lynne Gibbs · 2022 to 2026
$3.1M
Fluorescence Molecular In Vivo Liquid Biopsy of Circulating Tumor CellsR21CA246413 · NCI · NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY · PI NIEDRE, MARK JONATHAN · 2021 to 2022
$389k
NCI NIH HHS R01 CA271532NCI NIH HHS R21 CA246413
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Positive surgical margins following radical prostatectomy increase the risk of biochemical recurrence and subsequent disease progression. Fluorescence guided surgery (FGS) using targeted contrast agents has shown clinical benefits for several cancer types. However, current prostate cancer targeted imaging probes exhibit long pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles, necessitating extended waiting periods or repeated hospital visits, limiting their integration into standard clinical workflow. To overcome this critical clinical compatibility challenge, we developed an innovative tri-compartment, chemistry-driven probe design strategy. Specifically, we developed a congeneric library of near infrared (NIR) water soluble fluorescent probes incorporating: (1) a glutamic acid-urea-lysine (EuK) ligand targeting prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA); (2) a NIR heptamethine cyanine fluorophore optimized for enhanced PSMA binding via secondary binding sites interactions; and (3) distinct PK modulators residing outside the PSMA binding pocket to promote rapid off-target tissue clearance. While molecular docking scores, photophysical properties and live-cell staining results showed similar overall performance, probes bearing PK modulators produced stronger tumor-specific fluorescence in vivo than the control lacking a PK modulator. This effort enabled identification of a lead probe with robust tumor targeting and accelerated off-target clearance, providing optimal tumor-specific signal and contrast in a timeframe, fully compatible with robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) timelines.

Identifiers

PMID41000778
PMCPMC12458299

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.