# Chemical Targeting of Sensors and Pharmacological Probes in the Brain

> **NIH NIH R01** · COLUMBIA UNIV NEW YORK MORNINGSIDE · 2021 · $563,087

## Abstract

SUMMARY
Chemical Targeting of Sensors and Pharmacological Probes in the Brain
There are no general tools that enable monitoring and/or modulation of specific circuits and cells in the mammalian
brain by purely chemical means. We have recently disclosed a polymer platform for chemical delivery of voltage
sensitive dyes (VSDs) to specific cell types in the brain (monoaminergic neurons and their extensions), as a first
example of a non-genetic system enabling targeted delivery of highly lipophilic molecules in brain tissue. We have
shown that dextran, a bacterial polysaccharide, can function as a polar polymer carrier which dynamically
encapsulates the lipophilic VSD to carry it through brain tissue and deploy it at a specific cell type of interest by
the means of a homing ligand. The proposed research aims to build on this proof-of-concept example and develop
a general platform for delivery of lipophilic sensors and actuators/drugs to specific cell types in the brain. In Aim
1A we will develop traceless covalent labeling techniques based on ligand-directed acyl imidazole chemistry to a)
enable cell-type specific targeting without long-term perturbation of the system by pharmacological effects of the
ligand, and b) covalently immobilize voltage sensors in the vicinity of ion transporting proteins (AMPA receptor
and dopamine transporter) to measure local changes of membrane potential. In Aim 1B, we will leverage the
pharmacological effects of the ligands by extending the platform to dual-drug targeting which will enable delivery
of dopamine receptor D2 agonists specifically to D2-expressing medium spiny neurons (D2-MSNs), but not
dopaminergic axons in the striatum, by the means of an adenosine receptor A2A antagonist (a D2-MSN marker).
This will provide a platform for cell selective pharmacology with therapeutic potential for neurodegenerative (e.g.
Parkinson’s disease) and psychiatric disorders. In Aim 2 we focus on a) optimization of fluorescent VSDs for high
sensitivity and targetability using the dextran platform; and b) extension of the targeting platform to voltage sensors
enabling novel imaging modalities including short wave infrared fluorescence microscopy and photoacoustic
imaging. In Aim 3 we will systematically optimize the dextran delivery platform by tuning the polymer molecular
weight and substitution pattern. We will also explore other saccharide-based polymers as delivery systems for
lipophilic cargo in the brain, including cyclodextrins and poly(styrene-ether-trehalose). The outcome of this 5-year
program promises to provide a general and optimized platform for delivery of lipophilic sensor and actuators to
specific cell types in the brain. The chemical targeting approach eliminates the need for genetic manipulation of
the brain and thus will be, in a long-term perspective, applicable to humans and other organisms not readily
adaptable for genetic manipulations.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10128501
- **Project number:** 5R01MH122470-02
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIV NEW YORK MORNINGSIDE
- **Principal Investigator:** DALIBOR SAMES
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $563,087
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-04-01 → 2024-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10128501

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10128501, Chemical Targeting of Sensors and Pharmacological Probes in the Brain (5R01MH122470-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10128501. Licensed CC0.

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