Sulfur mustard is one of the most harmful chemical warfare agents and can induce skin, eye, and lung injuries. Detecting intact sulfur mustard in vivo might be an effective approach for the early diagnosis, accelerating treatment and therefore improving outcomes.
In a new study published in ACS Sensors, researchers developed a series of near-infrared fluorescent probes to selectively interact with intact sulfur mustard.
Among these probes, SiNIR-SM exhibited an extremely good response rate and a high off/on contrast. Both SiNIR-SM and OxSM-1 were successfully applied to image sulfur mustard in living cells. Using SiNIR-SM, the researchers found that sulfur mustard accumulates in the mitochondria of living cells.
SiNIR-SM probes were found suitable for the early diagnostic imaging of sulfur mustard poisoning in SKH-1 mice via the detection of intact sulfur mustard.
The study results could provide a new insight for the treatment of sulfur mustard injuries.
The research team was comprised of scientists from the Lab of Toxicology & Pharmacology, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China; State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, China; and the Department of Vascular Disease, Shanghai TCM-Integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Development of a Series of Fluorescent Probes for the Early Diagnostic Imaging of Sulfur Mustard Poisoning. ACS Sensors, 24 Sept. 2019.
