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Activatable fluorescent probe based on aggregation-induced emission for detecting hypoxia-related pathological
Lingfeng Xu1, Lihe Sun1, Fang Zeng1
1State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials & Devices, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular Aggregates, College of Materials Science & Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China.
Analytica Chimica Acta
|July 18, 2020
Summary
A novel fluorescent probe detects hypoxia by responding to elevated nitroreductase (NTR) levels. This method successfully identified tumors and cerebral ischemia in mouse models, offering a new tool for disease detection.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Chemical Biology
- Medical Diagnostics
Background:
- Hypoxia, or low oxygen tension, is a critical factor in various diseases, often exacerbating their severity.
- Elevated nitroreductase (NTR) levels are a common biomarker for hypoxia and associated pathologies.
- Accurate detection of hypoxia is crucial for understanding disease progression and developing effective treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and synthesize an activatable fluorescent probe for sensitive hypoxia detection.
- To utilize the probe's response to nitroreductase (NTR) as a hypoxia biomarker.
- To evaluate the probe's efficacy in detecting hypoxia-related conditions in preclinical models.
Main Methods:
- Design of an aggregation-induced emission (AIE) based fluorescent probe (TPAQS-NO2) incorporating electron donor and acceptor groups.
- Characterization of the probe's optical properties, including a large Stokes shift (186 nm).
- In vivo application of the probe for NTR detection in 4T1 tumor-bearing and cerebral ischemia mouse models.
Main Results:
- The TPAQS-NO2 probe demonstrated successful activation in response to NTR, indicating hypoxia.
- The probe effectively detected hypoxia in both early and advanced-stage tumors in a mouse model.
- Hypoxia was also successfully detected in a mouse model of cerebral ischemia using the TPAQS-NO2 probe.
Conclusions:
- The developed AIE-based fluorescent probe TPAQS-NO2 is a sensitive and effective tool for detecting hypoxia via NTR.
- The probe shows significant potential for non-invasive diagnosis and monitoring of hypoxia-related diseases, including cancer and stroke.
- This approach offers a valuable new strategy for biomedical imaging and diagnostics in hypoxic conditions.
