Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 4, 2026

Magnetically-Assisted Remote Controlled Microcatheter Tip Deflection under Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: April 4, 2013
Copper(ii) complexes for cysteine detection using 19F magnetic resonance.
José S Enriquez1, Meng Yu, Bailey S Bouley
1Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, 105 E. 24th St Stop A5300, Austin, Texas 78712, USA. emilyque@cm.utexas.edu.
New fluorinated copper complexes act as a 19F MRI contrast agent for detecting cysteine. These probes show a "turn-on" signal upon reduction by cysteine, enabling visualization in biological systems.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Medical Imaging
- Chemical Biology
Background:
- Cysteine is vital for cellular redox balance.
- Altered cysteine levels link to diseases like cancer and cardiovascular conditions.
- 19F MRI offers high sensitivity and low background for biological detection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop novel 19F NMR/MRI probes for cysteine detection.
- To investigate the turn-on response of fluorinated copper complexes to cysteine reduction.
- To assess the applicability of these probes in biological environments.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of fluorinated macrocyclic copper complexes.
- Monitoring 19F NMR/MRI signal changes upon addition of cysteine.
- Utilizing UV-vis and EPR spectroscopy to study reactivity.
- Evaluating probe performance in HeLa cells.
Main Results:
- Developed fluorinated macrocyclic copper complexes with a 19F NMR/MRI "turn-on" response.
- Confirmed cysteine-mediated reduction of Cu(II) complexes.
- Demonstrated good water solubility for complexes with -CH2CF3 tags.
- Successfully detected cysteine in HeLa cells using the developed probes.
Conclusions:
- Fluorinated macrocyclic copper complexes are effective 19F MRI contrast agents for cysteine.
- The probes exhibit a reliable turn-on signal upon cysteine interaction.
- These novel probes show potential for in-cell cysteine detection and imaging.
More Related Videos
09:26Functional Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy at 7 T in the Rat Barrel Cortex During Whisker Activation
Published on: February 8, 2019
13:21Preparation, Purification, and Characterization of Lanthanide Complexes for Use as Contrast Agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: July 21, 2011
Related Concept Videos
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Atomic Nuclei: Magnetic Resonance
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR): Overview
NMR spectroscopy generates a spectrum where the characteristic absorption frequencies of the sample are...
Resonance
Imaging Studies IV: Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Colors and Magnetism
When atoms or molecules absorb light at the proper frequency, their electrons are excited to higher-energy orbitals. For many main group atoms and molecules, the absorbed photons are in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which cannot be detected by the human eye. For coordination compounds, the energy difference between the d orbitals often allows photons in the visible range to be absorbed and emitted, which is seen as colors by the human...