IMAGING CELLULAR NUCLEIC ACIDS

摘要

A reporter conjugate for non-invasive imaging of gene expression in vivo is disclosed. The conjugate includes a targeting nucleic acid linked to a contrast agent, such as a paramagnetic label that can be used with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The targeting nucleic acid can be an anti-sense strand that hybridizes to a portion of a messenger RNA encoded by the gene whose expression is to be imaged. In some embodiments, the contrast agent is a chelated metal such as gadolinium or dysprosium. The invention also features methods to image gene expression in various tissues, including the brain.