Kanarine

Kanarine is a lymphatic tracer consisting of a suspension of carbon nanoparticles with an average diameter of approximately 150 nm. Developed by Chongqing Lummy Pharmaceutical, it is used for lymphatic mapping and the identification of sentinel lymph nodes in various malignancies, including breast, thyroid, gastric, and colorectal cancers. The mechanism relies on the specific size of the nanoparticles; they are small enough to pass through the intercellular gaps of lymphatic capillaries (120–500 nm) but too large to enter the tight junctions of blood capillaries (<50 nm). After peritumoral or subserosal injection, the particles migrate to the draining lymph nodes where they are phagocytosed by macrophages, staining the nodes black. This visual contrast assists surgeons in performing precise lymph node dissections and biopsies, particularly in identifying sentinel lymph nodes and protecting parathyroid glands during thyroid surgery.

Brand names

Kanarine

Other names

Carbon Nanoparticles Suspension InjectionCNSICarbon Nanoparticles