Dye-Dendrimer Complexes Show Enhanced Fluorescence

Dye-dendrimer complexes have been created from various commercial dyes that show enhanced fluorescent (greater than 10-fold) and photostability (greater than four-fold), in addition to improved solubility in water.

Fluorescent reagents are used extensively in laboratories for diagnostic immunoassays, high-throughput screening, microarrays, fluorescence microscopy, genomics, and proteomics.

Starpharma (Melbourne, Australia), through its U.S. subsidiary company Dendritic Nanotechnologies, Inc. (DNT), has found that DNT's Priostar dendrimer technology can be used to amplify the signal and increase the duration of the signal (photostability) of existing products in the fluorescent reagents market.

Strong signals and photostability are extremely important properties as they increase the sensitivity of detection methods and facilitate measurement of the signal, respectively. Increased sensitivity is needed to study disease markers that are present at very low levels--often below those detectable with current technologies. Preliminary testing has shown that the enhanced properties of Priostar dendrimer-dye complexes are retained after attachment to an antibody, an integral component for many of the applications of fluorescent dyes.

The initial commercialization target will be the in vitro diagnostic and research reagent markets. DNT is currently in preliminary commercialization discussions with the market leaders in the area of fluorescence reagents.


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