Two-photon Dye-Based Fluorogenic Organic Nanoparticles as Intracellular Thiols Sensors

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Optical Imaging
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Optical bioimaging relies on fluorescent probes, but current dyes face limitations in brightness and water solubility.
• Developing efficient and user-friendly probes is crucial for advancing molecular imaging techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce novel self-stabilized fluorogenic organic nanoparticles (dFONs) composed solely of dyes.
• To overcome the limitations of conventional fluorescent dyes in terms of brightness and hydrophilicity.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of dFONs using thiol-sensitive fluorogenic chromophores.
• Evaluation of dFONs' fluorescence properties, including one- and two-photon brightness.
• Assessment of dFONs' cell penetration and intracellular thiol detection capabilities.

Main Results:

• dFONs exhibit enhanced brightness specifically in the presence of biological thiols like glutathione.
• These nanoparticles demonstrate significant one- and two-photon fluorescence, enabling sensitive detection of intracellular thiols at micromolar concentrations.
• Pristine dFONs efficiently penetrate cells without prior washing, simplifying bioimaging protocols.

Conclusions:

• dFONs represent a transformative advancement in optical bioimaging, offering superior brightness and ease of use.
• Their unique properties position dFONs as versatile tools for tracers, biosensors, and potentially biomarkers.
• This work paves the way for novel applications of dye-based nanoparticles in biological research and diagnostics.