Development of Fluorescent Probes for Highlighting Nerves During Image Guided Surgeries

Abstract Fundamental goals of surgery are functional preservation and minimizing patient morbidityCurrent nerve identification during surgery utilizes non quantifiable criteria such as anatomytexturecolorand relationship to surrounding structures to distinguish nerves from non nerve tissuesIn instances of traumatumor invasion or infectionnerve identification using the above criteria can be especially challengingUsing white light reflectancewhich is the standard mode of illumination in operating roomsthe visual difference between small nervessuch as distal branches of the facial nerve important during surgery for salivary gland neoplasmsor cavernosal nerves important during radical prostatectomyand adjacent tissue can be imperceptibleIn this proposalwe aim to initiate commercialization of Human Nerve Targeting Peptide HNPDCa peptide dye conjugate identified to have high human nerve labeling in human tissue that highlights motorsensory and autonomic nerve in animal modelsHNPDC should enable intraoperatively nerve highlighting in patients undergoing cancer resection or other surgeries thereby improving the surgeon s ability to visualize nerves which will minimize inadvertent nerve injury Narrative There is an unmet need to improve the intraoperative visualization of nerves to preserve nerve function and minimize patient morbidity following surgeryIn this proposalwe aim to initiate commercialization of HNPDCa peptide dye conjugate that we identified to have high human nerve labeling and highlights motorsensory and autonomic nervesGuided surgery with a fluorescent dye conjugate of HNPDC should enable intraoperatively nerve highlighting in patients undergoing cancer resection or other surgery thereby improving the surgeon s ability to visualize nerves minimizing inadvertent nerve injury and patient morbidity