Neutide

Neutide (also known as the Neutrophil Activation Probe, or NAP) is a novel fluorescent molecular imaging probe developed by the University of Edinburgh (specifically the Translational Healthcare Technologies Group and the Edinburgh Critical Care Research Group). Designed as a diagnostic imaging agent rather than a therapeutic drug, Neutide is used to detect and visualize neutrophil activation in real time in the lungs of critically ill, mechanically ventilated patients. The probe's mechanism of action leverages three distinct signatures of neutrophil activation: pinocytosis, phagosomal alkalinisation, and human neutrophil elastase (HNE) activity. Specifically, Neutide features a tribranched structure holding quenched fluorescein moieties that are cleaved by active neutrophil elastase within the alkaline phagolysosome, resulting in a rapid increase in fluorescence. It has been evaluated in clinical trials, including a Phase 1 study (NCT01532024) in healthy volunteers, bronchiectasis patients, and ICU patients, and a Phase 2 study (NCT02804854, SNAP-IT) in mechanically ventilated ICU patients, to assess its safety and reliability during fiberoptic bronchoscopy and optical endomicroscopy.

Other names

Neutrophil Activation Probe