October 18, 2011 - HST’s latest product line: C•spec® particles conjugated to streptavidin. HST has been selling these products to early adopters, and based on their response and our own testing, we are now making the conjugates more widely available. Over the coming weeks, we will be introducing a series of new products that include a range of proteins labeled with C•spec® particles of different sizes and emission signatures.
May 04, 2011 - C dots give doctors eyes for cancer. Please refer to the following article by Bob Hackett at Cornell Daily Sun.
March 27, 2011 - In this radio interview HST co-founder Professor Uli Wiesner provides a unique perspective on the fluorescent nanoparticles referred to as "Cornell dots" or "C dots" in Ithaca, NY. At HST, we refer to these materials he co-invented with Dr. Hooisweng Ow as C•spec® particles.
January 31, 2011 - Novel Cancer-Targeting Investigational Nanoparticle Receives FDA IND Approval for First-In-Human Trial. Please see the following links to news releases by our collaborators at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centerand Cornell University.
August 15, 2010 - Standard Products released.
HST announces standard encapsulated rhodamine (TRITC) particles. Please visit our product page.
January 31, 2010 – Lab Expansion
In January 2010, HST expanded operations by setting up a laboratory in Cambridge, Massachusetts. We are retaining our Ithaca DNA, but now can access core facilities at Cornell University, Harvard and MIT to characterize materials made in our facilities.
March 12, 2009- Renal Clearance of C•spec®
particles in Mice
A collaborative effort among researchers at HST, Cornell University and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) has resulted in the development of C•spec® particles capable of clearance from the body via the kidneys (Nano Letters Article). This milestone paves the way for the use of the C•spec® platform for in vivo imaging applications and potential translation to the clinical space.
These particles were designed with three key features in mind: low toxicity, high brightness and rapid clearance from the body. Unlike competitive technologies such as quantum dots which are based on toxic heavy metals such as Cadmium and Lead, the silica-based C dots minimize potential toxicity, while achieving high brightness levels due to the beneficial interactions between the dye molecules and the silica matrix. Renal clearance is the method of choice for most drugs because it is rapid and specific, but requires that the imaging agent’s diameter be less than 7 nm and that its surface charge be neutral. Working with researchers in the Wiesner group at Cornell, particles down to 3.3 nm diameter (10x smaller than previously thought possible) with low polydispersity and neutral organic coatings were produced with absorption and emission peaks in the near-infrared.
C•spec® particles were synthesized and tested in nude mice. The C•spec® particles were found to rapidly clear the bloodstream (24-48 hrs) and were visualized by in vivo whole body fluorescence imaging in the bladder as shown above. Throughout the study, no adverse effects were found in mice exposed to particles of varying size and concentration.
This work demonstrates the promise of C•spec® architecture as a clinically translatable platform to address the need for bright NIR fluorescence in a biocompatible, easily-functionalized and inert particle.
