Article
Biophysics
Zhiyong Zhang, Chunyu Gao, Zhihao Lu, Xiunan Xie, Jinmao You, Zan Li
Summary: Researchers have developed a sunlight-directed fluorophore-switch strategy for high-efficiency synthesis of trimethine cyanine (Cy3.5/Cy3). The strategy utilizes the unexpected sunlight-directed photoconversion of Fischer's base without using extra additives. This strategy facilitates the exploitation of cyanine-based probes with switched fluorescence imaging channels for precise description of dynamic variations in living cells.
BIOSENSORS & BIOELECTRONICS
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Lang Bai, Zhubin Hu, Tianyang Han, Yajun Wang, Jiajun Xu, Guanyu Jiang, Xin Feng, Bin Sun, Xiangping Liu, Rui Tian, Haitao Sun, Songling Zhang, Xiaoyuan Chen, Shoujun Zhu
Summary: This study investigates the interaction mechanism of dye@albumin complexes and identifies key parameters that govern their binding. The study finds that chloride-containing cyanine dyes with specific chemical structures can bind more efficiently to albumin, resulting in a stable fluorescent probe. This finding addresses the issue of photobleaching in clinically-available cyanine dyes and expands the probe library for NIR-II bioimaging and imaging-guided surgery.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yuan Ma, Liuhui Liu, Zhifei Ye, Li Xu, Yuhang Li, Sulai Liu, Guosheng Song, Xiao-Bing Zhang
Summary: An integrated engineering strategy was employed to develop stable, bright, and specific cyanine-based near-infrared II (NIR-II) nanoprobes for bioimaging and medical diagnosis. These nanoprobes showed tunable response to reactive species and provided reliable detection of pathological conditions in animal models.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhe Li, Ping-Zhao Liang, Li Xu, Xing-Xing Zhang, Ke Li, Qian Wu, Xiao-Feng Lou, Tian-Bing Ren, Lin Yuan, Xiao-Bing Zhang
Summary: J-aggregation is an effective strategy to extend the wavelength of organic NIR-II fluorescence dyes, but weak intermolecular interactions often lead to decomposition of the aggregates in biological environment. Here, the authors demonstrate a series of activatable quinazoline derivatives which can self-assemble in vivo into highly stable NIR-II J-aggregates.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chaoxiang Cui, Jiachen Li, Jing Fang, Yan Zhao, Yuqi Zhang, Shuyue Ye, Anna Wang, Yali Feng, Qiulian Mao, Hongni Qin, Haibin Shi
Summary: Three novel tumor-targeted NIR-II probes were rationally designed and synthesized, showing differential imaging and photothermal therapeutic performance. Among them, QR-2PEG(5000) exhibited the best NIR-II imaging performance, while QR-2PEG(321) had excellent photoacoustic signal and photothermal effect.
CHINESE CHEMICAL LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xianghan Zhang, Sumei Zhao, Zhiqing Gao, Jialin Zhou, Yuqiong Xia, Jie Tian, Changhong Shi, Zhongliang Wang
Summary: Cancer phototheranostics using mitochondria-targeted NIR cyanines encapsulated in liposomal bilayers showed promising results in balancing hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity, as well as improving tumor cell uptake through a bioorthogonal-mediated targeting strategy. The CyBI7-LPB probe exhibited excellent tumor targeting and anti-tumor therapy outcomes in experimental settings.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rui Zhang, Xuan He, Jia-Min Jiang, Pan-Pan Li, Hai-Yan Wang, Lin Li, Jia-Xiang Yang, Lin Kong
Summary: TD-DFT quantum calculation was performed to predict the electronic transition and absorption/emission maxima of pyrrole-difluoroboron derivatives with different electron donor-acceptor units or conjugated degrees. It led to the design of a new NIR fluorophore TPBD-BP, which showed excellent water solubility, biocompatibility, and AIE for in vivo imaging. The NIR-II emission signal of TPBD-BP dots could be observed in the reproductive organs of normal nude mice, indicating potential applications in biological imaging.
BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Virendra Kumar, Simran Sony, Navpreet Kaur, Shaikh M. M. Mobin, Paramjit Kaur, Kamaljit Singh
Summary: This article reports the photophysical properties of a new multifunctional molecular probe, PYTZ-P, which shows modulated emission behavior in response to external stimuli and exhibits high sensitivity towards protons and Hg2+ ions, suggesting its potential applications in bioimaging.
ANALYTICA CHIMICA ACTA
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Tuanwei Li, Kaili Cao, Xiaohu Yang, Yongyang Liu, Xingyu Wang, Feng Wu, Guangcun Chen, Qiangbin Wang
Summary: This study presents a single-component NIR-II ratiometric molecular nanoprobe (LC-1250 NP) for early monitoring of gastrointestinal diseases via oral administration. LC-1250 NP shows stable fluorescence in the 1250 nm long-pass channel before and after disease detection, but exhibits enhanced fluorescence in the 1150 nm short-pass channel in the diseased gastrointestinal environment due to the activation of LC-1250 molecules by H2O2. The ratio of fluorescence signals (F1150SP/F1250LP) linearly increases with the concentration of H2O2, providing accurate mapping of the diseased areas and reliable evaluation for the progress of gastroenteritis.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Ebaston Thankarajan, Suchita Jadhav, Galia Luboshits, Gary Gellerman, Leonid Patsenker
Summary: In this study, a dual-dye ratiometric system was utilized for quantification monitoring of anticancer drug delivery and release in tumors, demonstrating its advantages in a mouse model.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shenglin Luo, Xi Luo, Xiaojiao Wang, Lian Li, Huiguo Liu, Banghui Mo, Hongbo Gan, Wei Sun, Liting Wang, Houjie Liang, Songtao Yu
Summary: Cancer immunotherapy has the potential to eradicate tumors and suppress metastasis, but systemic administration of immune adjuvants and lack of specificity in cancer treatment have limited its therapeutic benefits and caused potential immune-related side effects. In this study, a multifunctional photosensitizer (PS) was synthesized to address these issues. This PS was able to specifically accumulate in tumors, perform near-infrared fluorescent imaging, and induce photodynamic/photothermal/immunotherapy. It demonstrated excellent tumor-specific accumulation, imaging-guided laser irradiation, and in situ antitumor immune response, providing promise for tumor-targeting immunotherapy.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yuewei Zhang, Yunlong Jia, Shoujun Zhu
Summary: The NIR-II bioimaging technique is crucial for diagnosing and treating life-threatening diseases, but the lack of suitable probes has limited its clinical application. Binding cyanine dyes to albumin has emerged as an effective method for developing high-performance NIR-II probes. These cyanine@albumin fluorophores offer significant advantages, including brightness, photostability, biosafety, and a long-term, high-resolution imaging window.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Xin Wang, Mengfei Li, Xue Zheng, Bin Sun, Yajun Wang, Jiajun Xu, Tianyang Han, Shengjie Ma, Shoujun Zhu, Songling Zhang
Summary: In this study, a ratiometric dual-near-infrared IIb (NIR-IIb) in vivo detection method is presented using analyte-responsive dye-triplet-sensitized downshifting nanoprobes. The method allows for accurate quantitative detection of analytes in biological tissue, ignoring the depth of penetration. The established detection curves can be used to accurately output the amount of the target analyte.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ting Wang, Ying Chen, Zuyang He, Xiaohan Wang, Shangfeng Wang, Fan Zhang
Summary: By developing a molecular-based FRET nanosensor capable of producing dynamic ratiometric NIR-IIb fluorescence signal under a frequency-modulated dual-wavelength excitation bioimaging system, we overcome tissue scattering and autofluorescence interference and achieve high-contrast in vivo sensing with micrometer-scale spatial resolution and millisecond-scale temporal resolution.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yunyi Liu, Lu Zhang, Ying Chen, Haitao Sun, Jiajian Chen, Ahmed Mohamed Ei-Toni, Aslam Khan, Zuhai Lei, Fan Zhang
Summary: ATP plays a crucial role in immune cell responses and its real-time monitoring in vivo remains challenging. In this study, a reversible NIR-II molecular fluorescent probe (CX-RATP) based on FRET strategy is designed and synthesized. CX-RATP exhibits significant fluorescence ratio change in the presence of physiological and pathological ATP concentrations. The recognition process can be reversed by apyrase and the probe is successfully applied in detecting ATP levels in acute inflammation and hepatocellular carcinoma.
ADVANCED OPTICAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Si-Min Wang, Xiaofeng Lou, Shuai Xu, Zhi-Ling Song, Tian-Bing Ren, Shuang-Yan Huan, Lin Yuan, Xiao-Bing Zhang
Summary: Fluorescence imaging is widely used in biomedical research and clinical diagnostics. D-A type fluorophores are commonly used for fluorescence imaging due to their easy synthesis and excellent photophysical properties. However, the solvatochromic nature of traditional D-A type fluorophores reduces the fluorescence brightness in biological systems. In this study, we developed a novel HIEE fluorophore MTC with typical anti-solvatochromic fluorescence, and the activated fluorescent probe designed based on MTC showed excellent imaging performance. We believe that fluorophores with typical anti-solvatochromic fluorescence could be a useful platform for designing fluorescent probes for high-brightness imaging in biological systems.
ANALYTICAL AND BIOANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Rongbin Zhong, Renfeng Jiang, Jiayu Zeng, Xiangyang Gong, Xuefeng Yang, Longwei He, Lin Yuan, Dan Cheng
Summary: A new near-infrared fluorescent probe (DCM-LAP) with a large Stokes shift and high sensitivity is prepared, which can selectively image LAP activity and play a role in tumor cell invasion and migration processes. It can assist in the accurate resection of breast tumors and distinguish tumor tissues from normal tissues.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Xiao-Peng Fan, Jing Huang, Tian-Bing Ren, Lin Yuan, Xiao-Bing Zhang
Summary: This study developed a novel near-infrared hemicyanines fluorophore (FJH) with good hydrophilicity and blood circulation, enabling lung imaging. The probe FJH-C showed selectivity and sensitivity towards the ALI indicator (esterase) in vitro and in living cells. This research provides a new method for real-time lung functional imaging and highlights the fluorophore structure with high lung retention.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Wei Li, Shulu Yin, Yang Shen, Haiyan Li, Lin Yuan, Xiao-Bing Zhang
Summary: Researchers developed an oxazine-based activatable molecular assembly (PTO-Biotin Nps) that can trigger lysosomal dysfunction-mediated Fenton pathway to induce tumor ferroptosis with excellent spatiotemporal resolution using near-infrared light. The assembly selectively accumulates in lysosomes of tumor cells and exhibits enhanced photothermal activity in the acidic tumor microenvironment. Upon activation, PTO-Biotin Nps induce lysosomal dysfunction, cytosolic acidification, impaired autophagy, and enhanced cellular Fenton reactions to induce ferroptosis, leading to improved antitumor efficacy and reduced systemic side effects.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Haowei Guo, Kaipeng Yang, Xiaopeng Fan, Mei Chen, Guoliang Ke, Tian-Bing Ren, Lin Yuan, Xiao-Bing Zhang
Summary: Effective monitoring of essential bioindicators with high-contrast fluorescence imaging is highly crucial to reveal the pathological progression of diseases. A new fluorophore, 3-methoxy-aminorhodamine (3-MeOARh), with improved fluorescence quantum yield is designed and synthesized. The activatable probe based on 3-MeOARh shows high signal-to-noise ratio and is successfully used for nitroreductase detection and kidney hypoxia imaging.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhe Li, Ping-Zhao Liang, Tian-Bing Ren, Lin Yuan, Xiao-Bing Zhang
Summary: Self-assembled functionalized organic fluorophores have been developed to overcome the limitations of traditional organic fluorophores, such as low signal-to-background ratio and spurious positive/negative signals. These fluorophores can create nanoaggregates through a self-assembly process, prolonging their residency time in cells and in vivo settings. This emerging field shows significant progress and challenges, and this review summarizes the development history, self-assembly mechanisms, and biomedical applications of self-assembled fluorophores.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Gangwei Jiang, Xiao-Feng Lou, Shan Zuo, Xixuan Liu, Tian-Bing Ren, Lu Wang, Xiao-Bing Zhang, Lin Yuan
Summary: In this study, an ingenious molecular engineering strategy was developed to regulate the cellular uptake and retention of rhodamine dyes. Introduction of polar aminoethyl increased the brightness and reduced the cellular uptake of dyes, and this change could be reversed by amino acetylation. Furthermore, these modifications enhanced the uptake of dyes by cancer cells (16-fold) through active transport. By constructing activatable probes, the signal contrast (56-fold) between cancer and normal cells was further improved, and it was confirmed that the released fluorophore could remain in cancer cells for an extended time, enabling long-term and specific tumor imaging.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jiayu Zeng, Minhui Liu, Songjiao Li, Dan Cheng, Longwei He, Lin Yuan
Summary: Conventional chemotherapy has limitations due to its severe side effects and inducible resistance, driving the development of new multifunctional prodrugs for precision medicine. Researchers have focused on developing chemotherapeutic prodrugs with tumor-targeting capability, activatable and traceable chemotherapeutic activity, as a powerful tool in cancer treatment. The combination of near-infrared (NIR) organic fluorophores and chemotherapy reagents enables real-time monitoring of drug delivery and distribution, as well as the combination of chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy (PDT). This review discusses the design strategy and recent progress of multifunctional organic chemotherapeutic prodrugs for activating NIR fluorescence imaging-guided therapy, as well as the prospects and challenges.
Review
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Caiping Ding, Tianbing Ren
Summary: Near infrared (NIR) fluorescent probes have advantageous features including low background interference, strong tissue penetration, and minimal tissue damage. This paper provides a summary and discussion on the various types and properties of fluorophores used in the design of NIR fluorescent probes. It also discusses the latest research achievements in detecting and imaging reactive oxygen species, reactive nitrogen, and active sulfur in cells or in vivo. Additionally, a concise overview of the future development of NIR molecular fluorescence probes is proposed based on existing research, offering a reference for current research directions.
COORDINATION CHEMISTRY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yiteng Ding, Rongbin Zhong, Renfeng Jiang, Xuefeng Yang, Longwei He, Lin Yuan, Dan Cheng
Summary: In this study, a reversible fluorescence probe NRN was developed to monitor ONOO???/GSH in an acute kidney injury model. The probe showed excellent selectivity and good sensitivity, and real-time evaluations in vivo were performed. The experiments revealed the severity and irreversibility of acute kidney injury caused by combined drugs under certain conditions. NRN could serve as a potential tool for understanding oxidative stress-related drug-induced acute kidney injury processes.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Yurong Feng, Shuai Xu, Haowei Guo, Tian-Bing Ren, Shuang-Yan Huan, Lin Yuan, Xiao-Bing Zhang
Summary: This study achieved sensitive and early diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) through the development of a chemiluminescent probe CL-Pa. The probe can detect drug-induced AKI through urinalysis and has great potential for early diagnosis of AKI and evaluation of anti-AKI drugs clinically.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Haiyan Li, Yang Shen, Zhengkun Dong, Wei Li, Lin Yuan
Summary: Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging is widely used in biological applications due to its deep tissue penetration and minimum background. However, current NIR dyes still face limitations such as small Stokes shifts, difficulty in optical tuning, and pH sensitivity. In this study, we designed a pH insensitive amino-tunable NIR oxazine fluorophore DQF-NH2, which exhibited a large Stokes shift and NIR excitation/emission. Using DQF-NH2, we successfully constructed a probe DQF-NH2-LAP for detecting and imaging leucine aminopeptidase (LAP). The probe showed good performance in live cell imaging and in vivo tumor tissue imaging. The functionalizable dye DQF-NH2 may serve as a potential platform for the development of future NIR probes for bioimaging.
CHEMISTRY-AN ASIAN JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhe Li, Li Xu, Jin-Yu Li, Lingling Lei, Ping-Zhao Liang, Qian Wu, Feiyu Yang, Tian-Bing Ren, Xia Yin, Lin Yuan, Xiao-Bing Zhang
Summary: This study developed a water-soluble zwitterion with afterglow luminescence and renal metabolic capacity using a cascade reaction mediated by superoxide anion. Compared to other contrast agents, this zwitterion exhibited excellent afterglow properties, rapid renal metabolism, and good biocompatibility. It showed potential for the rapid detection of kidney failure with higher sensitivity and signal-to-background ratio in afterglow imaging.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Yurong Feng, Shuai Xu, Haowei Guo, Tian-Bing Ren, Shuang-Yan Huan, Lin Yuan, Xiao-Bing Zhang
Summary: This study achieved sensitive and early diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) through the development of a chemiluminescent probe. The probe showed high sensitivity in detecting urinary Vanin-1, an early biomarker for AKI. The study demonstrated the potential of the probe for early diagnosis of AKI and evaluating the efficiency of anti-AKI drugs.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)