A highly sensitive NIR fluorescence probe for hypoxia imaging in cells and ulcerative colitis

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Molecular Imaging
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Ulcerative colitis (UC), an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), involves immune dysregulation and can cause colon hypoxia.
• Nitroreductase (NTR) is upregulated in hypoxic conditions, making it a potential biomarker for UC.
• Current diagnostic methods for UC-related hypoxia are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an ultrasensitive fluorescence probe for detecting NTR.
• To enable targeted imaging of hypoxia in UC.
• To evaluate the probe's efficacy in preclinical models.

Main Methods:

• Development of an ultrasensitive NTR-triggered fluorescence probe (WS-1-NO2).
• Characterization of probe's fluorescence enhancement and detection limit.
• Application of the probe for in vitro and in vivo imaging of hypoxia in cells, tumors, and DSS-induced UC mouse models.

Main Results:

• The WS-1-NO2 probe exhibited a 45-fold fluorescence enhancement upon reaction with NTR.
• An extremely low detection limit of 0.096 ng/mL was achieved.
• Successful fluorescence imaging of hypoxia was demonstrated in living cells, tumors, and UC mouse models.

Conclusions:

• The developed probe is highly sensitive and effective for detecting NTR and imaging hypoxia.
• This probe shows potential as a diagnostic and research tool for hypoxia-related diseases like UC and cancer.
• Further investigation into this probe could advance understanding and management of IBD and other hypoxic conditions.