Fluorescent Ligand Eye Scanning (FLES)
Fluorescent Ligand Eye Scanning (FLES) is a technique in which a compound composed of beta amyloid-specific small molecules is dropped into a patient’s eye, which is scanned by the SAPPHIRE instrument.
The small molecules are absorbed into the lens and bind to the amyloid aggregates. The FLES system excites the fluorescent ligands that bind to amyloid and quantitatively measures emissions in specific anatomical locations to biochemically confirm the presence of amyloid.
The binding compounds emit light in a specific, detectable range of wavelengths. If binding increases over time, a positive diagnosis can be made, enabling clinicians to track the progress of the disease in patients by measuring levels of fluorescence – as well as potentially enabling doctors and pharmaceutical researchers to monitor the efficacy of Alzheimer’s drugs in clinical trial settings.