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ABSTRACT: Purpose
The relentless rise in antimicrobial resistance is a major societal challenge and requires, as part of its solution, a better understanding of bacterial colonization and infection. To facilitate this, we developed a highly efficient no-wash red optical molecular imaging agent that enables the rapid, selective, and specific visualization of Gram-positive bacteria through a bespoke optical fiber-based delivery/imaging endoscopic device.Methods
We rationally designed a no-wash, red, Gram-positive-specific molecular imaging agent (Merocy-Van) based on vancomycin and an environmental merocyanine dye. We demonstrated the specificity and utility of the imaging agent in escalating in vitro and ex vivo whole human lung models (n = 3), utilizing a bespoke fiber-based delivery and imaging device, coupled to a wide-field, two-color endomicroscopy system.Results
The imaging agent (Merocy-Van) was specific to Gram-positive bacteria and enabled no-wash imaging of S. aureus within the alveolar space of whole ex vivo human lungs within 60 s of delivery into the field-of-view, using the novel imaging/delivery endomicroscopy device.Conclusion
This platform enables the rapid and specific detection of Gram-positive bacteria in the human lung.
SUBMITTER: Mills B
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7485201 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature