Activatable molecular probes for fluorescence-guided surgery, endoscopy and tissue biopsy

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Surgical Oncology
• Molecular Imaging

Background:

• Real-time optical visualization aids surgical resection and organ preservation.
• Always-on imaging probes suffer from high background noise due to non-specific accumulation.
• Activatable molecular probes offer high target-to-background ratios, specificity, and sensitivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in activatable molecular probes for surgical imaging and diagnosis.
• To discuss the design principles and mechanisms of these probes.
• To highlight their applications in fluorescence-guided surgery, endoscopy, and biopsy.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of recent progress in activatable molecular probes.
• Analysis of probe design, mechanism, and application data.
• Discussion of challenges and future perspectives.

Main Results:

• Activatable probes "turn on" signals only when reacting with specific biomolecules overexpressed in malignant cells.
• This targeted activation significantly reduces background noise compared to always-on probes.
• Demonstrated utility in fluorescence-guided surgery, endoscopy, and tissue biopsy.

Conclusions:

• Activatable molecular probes represent a significant advancement in surgical imaging.
• They enable precise visualization of lesions and margins, leading to more complete tumor resection and better preservation of healthy tissues.
• Further development holds promise for overcoming current challenges and expanding applications in surgical diagnostics.