A systematic approach to the development of fluorescent contrast agents for optical imaging of mouse cancer models.

Optical imaging is a rapidly developing field of research aimed at non-invasively interrogating animals for disease progression, determining the effects of a drug on a particular pathology, assessing the pharmacokinetic behavior of a drug, or identifying molecular biomarkers of disease. One of the key components of molecular imaging is the development of specific, targeted imaging contrast agents to assess these biological processes. The development of robust fluorochrome-labeled optical agents is a process that is often underestimated in terms of its complexity. Although many studies describe the use of these agents, guidelines for their development and testing are not readily available. This review outlines some of the general principles that are important when developing and using fluorochrome-labeled optical contrast agents for oncology investigations in animals. *Corresponding author: Amy Geschwender Principle Scientist, Marketing Communications

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