Hemicyanine‐Based Near‐Infrared Activatable Probes for Imaging and Diagnosis of Diseases

• Published in: Angewandte Chemie International Edition Vol. 60; no. 51; pp. 26454 - 26475
• Main Authors: Zeng, Ziling, Liew, Si Si, Wei, Xin, Pu, Kanyi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 13.12.2021
• Edition: International ed. in English
• Subjects: activatable probes; Biomarkers; Carbocyanines - chemistry; Diagnosis; disease diagnosis; Drug screening; Fluorescence; Fluorescent Dyes - chemistry; fluorescent probes; hemicyanines; Humans; Inflammation - diagnostic imaging; Infrared Rays; Intestinal Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Medical imaging; Near infrared radiation; Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Optical communication; Optical Imaging; Probes; Skin diseases; Skin Diseases - diagnostic imaging; disease diagnosis; optical imaging; activatable probes; fluorescent probes; hemicyanines
• ISSN: 1433-7851; 1521-3773
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.202107877

Molecular activatable probes with near‐infrared (NIR) fluorescence play a critical role in in vivo imaging of biomarkers for drug screening and disease diagnosis. With structural diversity and high fluorescence quantum yields, hemicyanine dyes have emerged as a versatile scaffold for the construction of activatable optical probes. This Review presents a survey of hemicyanine‐based NIR activatable probes (HNAPs) for in vivo imaging and early diagnosis of diseases. The molecular design principles of HNAPs towards activatable optical signaling against various biomarkers are discussed with a focus on their broad applications in the detection of diseases including inflammation, acute organ failure, skin diseases, intestinal diseases, and cancer. This progress not only proves the unique value of HNAPs in preclinical research but also highlights their high translational potential in clinical diagnosis. Near‐infrared fluorescent hemicyanines, known for their structural diversity, high fluorescence quantum yields, and good biocompatibility, are attractive scaffolds for the construction of activatable optical probes for disease diagnosis. This Review discusses the design strategies and sensing mechanisms of these probes, with an emphasis on their applications in early disease detection and imaging‐guided therapies.