The Bioinorganic and Bioorganometallic Chemistry of Radionuclides and Boron Clusters

分子成像（MI）是革命性的诊断医学，药物发现和基础疾病研究，使可视化的生物过程无创。MI包括一种成像方式和特殊设计的化学探针，可以结合并显示特定的生物靶标。光学、核和其他类型的心肌梗塞探针的使用正在改变疾病的诊断、药物的开发，并从根本上改变科学家研究现有和新兴生化系统的方式。valiant团队专注于促进和加速新型MI探针的发现和准备的研究。这是通过研究医用同位素和硼化合物的化学性质，包括后者如何与医学成像中使用的放射性元素相互作用来实现的。最近的工作涉及创造新的分子，这些分子可以结合医学同位素，如在核医学中广泛使用的锝，从而使所产生的化合物可以选择性地靶向疾病部位。该计划的下一阶段将以我们过去的发现为基础，重点解决两个主要领域的重要研究问题。第一个目标是增加目前对硼化学的理解，并利用新产生的知识开发新型的微量元素探针。这项工作是基于我们最近发现的一种在低温下高产量制备碳硼烷的新方法。碳硼烷可用于在水中生成一类独特的化合物（金属碳硼烷），其条件可用于制备新一代MI探针。制造这类特殊化合物的新方法具有重要的附加价值，因为碳硼烷也被用于开发新材料、催化剂和无机药物。第二个领域涉及化合物的创造，可以用来开发具有相同结构的发光和放射性化合物（也称为同结构MI探针）。目标是利用新出现的化学来制造探针，使细胞和组织成像与全身成像方法联系起来成为可能，从而在理解细胞过程与患者疾病检测和表征之间提供联系。这一目标将通过扩大已知的锝和铼的化学性质，创造可用于光学和核成像的化合物类别，以及可以直接结合特定蛋白质来实现。拟议的项目将利用麦克马斯特大学的世界级核研究设施，该设施最近在2010年进行了升级，包括一套新的放射化学实验室。麦克马斯特也是NSERC分子成像探针创建项目（与阿尔伯塔大学的合作培训项目）和探针开发和商业化中心（CPDC）的家，CPDC是一个国家级卓越中心，专注于将新的MI探针从实验室转化为临床试验。MI领域依赖于探针的发展和基础化学的进步，例如应用程序中描述的那些。拟议的研究和培训计划的成果将有助于MI领域的发展，同时解决目前在一个快速发展的行业中高素质人才短缺的问题，该行业是加拿大经济和医疗保健系统的重要组成部分。

Molecular imaging (MI) is revolutionizing diagnostic medicine, drug discovery and basic disease research by making it possible to visualize biological processes non-invasively. MI involves an imaging modality and specially designed chemical probes that bind to and reveal specific biological targets. The use of optical, nuclear and other classes of MI probes is changing how diseases are diagnosed, drugs are developed, and is radically altering how scientists study existing and emerging biochemical systems. The Valliant group focuses on research that facilitates and expedites the discovery and preparation of novel MI probes. This is achieved by studying the chemistry of medical isotopes and boron compounds including how the latter interacts with radioactive elements used in medical imaging. Recent work involved creating new molecules that can bind medical isotopes such as technetium, which is used extensively in nuclear medicine, in a way that the resulting compounds can be made to selectively target sites of disease. The next phase of the program builds on our past discoveries to address important research questions focusing on two main areas. The first looks to add to the current understanding of boron chemistry and to use the arising knowledge to develop new kinds of MI probes. The work is based on our recent unearthing of a new way to prepare carboranes in high yield at low temperatures. Carboranes can be used to generate a unique class of compounds (metallocarboranes) in water under conditions that can be used to prepare a new generation of MI probes. New ways to make this particular class of compounds has significant added value in that carboranes are also being used to develop new materials, catalysts and inorganic pharmaceuticals. The second area involves the creation of compounds that can be used to develop luminescent and radioactive compounds having identical structures (also known as isostructural MI probes). The goal is to use the arising chemistry to create probes that make it possible to link cell and tissue imaging with whole body imaging methods thereby providing connections between understanding of cellular processes and disease detection and characterization in patients. This objective will be achieved by expanding the known chemistry of technetium and rhenium and creating classes of compounds that can be used for both optical and nuclear imaging and that can be directed to bind specific proteins. The proposed program will leverage the world-class nuclear research facilities at McMaster University, which were recently upgraded in 2010 to include a new suite of radiochemistry laboratories. McMaster is also home to an NSERC Create program in molecular imaging probes (a collaborative training program with the University of Alberta) and the Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization (CPDC) which is a national Centre of Excellence focused on translating new MI probes from the laboratory into clinical trials. The field of MI relies on probe development and advances in fundamental chemistry such as those described in the application. The outcomes of the proposed research and training program will contribute to the growth of the MI field while addressing the current shortage of highly qualified personnel in a rapidly expanding sector that is an important part of the Canadian economy and healthcare system.