Cyanine Conjugate-Based Biomedical Imaging Probes

Cyanine is a class of fluorescent dye with meritorious fluorescence properties and has motivated numerous researchers to explore its imaging capabilities by miscellaneous structural modification and functionalization strategies. The covalent conjugation with other functional molecules represents a distinctive design strategy and has shown immense potential in both basic and clinical research. This review article summarizes recent achievements in cyanine conjugate-based probes for biomedical imaging. Particular attention is paid to the conjugation with targeting warheads and other contrast agents for targeted fluorescence imaging and multimodal imaging, respectively. Additionally, their clinical potential in cancer diagnostics is highlighted and some concurrent impediments for clinical translation are discussed.