Non-communicable diseases (NCD) are the major cause of death worldwide, with cancer accounting for 8.2 million deaths each year. The need for early detection tools has led to significant advancements in the field of molecular fluorescent sensors. Our group is mainly interested in sensing reactive oxygen species (ROS) since increased levels of ROS have been linked to NCD. Selective and sensitive targeting of peroxynitrite (ONOO-), a key ROS, is highly challenging due to its short half-life. ONOO- is involved in NLRP3 inflammasome activation, a key factor to induce inflammation in order to limit NCD progression. Our group is interested in the development of resorufin based molecular sensors that target specific organelles. These resorufin scaffolds include boronic esters which allow for selective and sensitive targeting of ONOO-. Upon reaction of the boronic esters with ONOO- the molecular sensors emit a fluorescence signal. Additionally, we are interested in the addition and evaluation of mitochondrial and lysosomal targeting groups to our resorufin scaffold. Examination of the molecular sensors in vitro allows for a deeper understanding of the underlying physiological processes. We have successfully demonstrated this with one of our systems in J774.2 macrophages.(1)

Resorufin derived fluorescent probes for the selective detection of ONOO-

2019 Fall National Meeting

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