Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42174369›Full record

ArticleMolecular diagnosis & therapy2026

Real-Time Detection of Colorectal Cancer Using Topical Application of a pH-Activatable Fluorophore.

Daan G J Linders, Jinhui Ser, Md Shamim, Aida Baibussunova, Jasmijn C J Loggers, Gilbert Noordam, Davey van den Burg, Gijs J D van Acker, Onno R Guicherit, Marinke Westerterp and 8 more

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PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Molecular diagnosis & therapy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Daan G J Linders *Department of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4524-4175
Jinhui Ser *Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Md ShamimDepartment of Chemistry, Center of Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA.
Aida BaibussunovaGordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Jasmijn C J LoggersDepartment of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Gilbert NoordamDepartment of Pathology, Haaglanden Medical Center, 2512 VA, The Hague, The Netherlands.
Davey van den BurgDepartment of Pathology, Haaglanden Medical Center, 2512 VA, The Hague, The Netherlands.
Gijs J D van AckerDepartment of Surgery, Haaglanden Medical Center, 2512 VA, The Hague, The Netherlands.
Onno R GuicheritDepartment of Surgery, Haaglanden Medical Center, 2512 VA, The Hague, The Netherlands.
Marinke WesterterpDepartment of Surgery, Haaglanden Medical Center, 2512 VA, The Hague, The Netherlands.
Peter J K KuppenDepartment of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Andreas W K S MarinelliDepartment of Surgery, Haaglanden Medical Center, 2512 VA, The Hague, The Netherlands.
Denise E HillingDepartment of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Elke E M PetersDepartment of Pathology, Haaglanden Medical Center, 2512 VA, The Hague, The Netherlands.
Satoshi KashiwagiGordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA. skashiwagi@mgh.harvard.edu.
Maged HenaryDepartment of Chemistry, Center of Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA. mhenary1@gsu.edu.
Hak Soo ChoiGordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA. haksoochoi@gmail.com.
Alexander L VahrmeijerDepartment of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands. a.l.vahrmeijer@lumc.nl.

Funding

Foundation for the National Institutes of Health R01CA280968Ministry of Health & Welfare and Ministry of Science and ICT (S. Korea) RS-2024-00466887Ministry of Health & Welfare (S. Korea) RS-2024-00436472
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionStandard treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer involves neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (nCRT) followed by total mesorectal excision, but this approach carries significant morbidity and often results in incomplete resections owing to poor intraoperative tumor visualization. For patients with complete response to nCRT, a watch-and-wait (W&W) strategy can spare surgery, but current imaging techniques inadequately identify complete responders, leading to regrowth in ~ 30% of cases. To improve nCRT response assessment and guide resections, we developed PH10, a topically applied, pH-activatable near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe for rapid, tumor-specific imaging.

methodsPH10, a small-molecule cyanine analog, was tested in murine models and on human tumor specimens (n = 11). Fluorescence activation, tumor specificity, and tumor-to-background ratio (TBR) were evaluated in vivo and ex vivo within clinically relevant timeframes.

resultsPH10 enabled rapid and specific tumor visualization, achieving a median TBR of 3.2 within 1 min in vivo in murine models and 2.2 within 10 min ex vivo on human samples. The probe demonstrated high specificity for tumor tissue within the acidic tumor microenvironment without requiring systemic administration or prolonged incubation.

conclusionsPH10 is a promising, fast-acting topical NIR agent for real-time tumor detection during colorectal cancer endoscopy and surgery. Its simplicity and rapid kinetics support potential clinical translation. Moreover, its pH-activatable mechanism may extend its utility to other solid cancers with acidic microenvironments.

Indexed as

Colorectal NeoplasmsFluorescent DyesAdministration, TopicalAnimalsCell Line, TumorDisease Models, AnimalFemaleFluorescent Chemosensor CompoundsHumansHydrogen-Ion ConcentrationMiceOptical ImagingFluorescent Chemosensor CompoundsFluorescent Dyes

Identifiers

PMID42174369
PMCPMC13319260

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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.