Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 14, 2025

15:18
Near Infrared Optical Projection Tomography for Assessments of β-cell Mass Distribution in Diabetes Research
Published on: January 12, 2013
16.4K
Visualization of Diabetes Progression by an Activatable NIR-IIb Luminescent Probe.
Yong Wan1, Zhi Guo1, Zhengjun Wu1
1Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Chinese Traditional Medicine, College of Health Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China.
Analytical Chemistry
|September 6, 2024
Summary
This study introduces a novel near-infrared IIb (NIR-IIb) luminescence probe using hemicyanine dye to detect cysteine (Cys) in diabetes research. This new probe enables better visualization of Cys in diabetic mice, advancing diabetes diagnostics.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Developing advanced near-infrared IIb (NIR-IIb) luminescence probes is crucial for deep-tissue imaging in diabetes research.
- Current probes often use heptamethine cyanine dyes, limiting detection of biomolecules like cysteine (Cys) due to restricted recognition units and reliance on photoinduced electron transfer (PET) mechanisms.
- Cysteine is closely linked to diabetes progression, highlighting the need for more versatile detection methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel NIR-IIb luminescence probe using hemicyanine dye as a sensitizer for lanthanide-doped nanoparticles (LnNPs).
- To overcome the limitations of traditional probes by utilizing intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) in hemicyanine dyes for broader target detection.
- To create a nanoprobe capable of monitoring cysteine concentration in vivo and evaluating drug efficacy in diabetic models.
Main Methods:
- Synthesized a novel NIR-IIb probe by coupling hemicyanine dye (NFL-OH) with lanthanide-doped nanoparticles (LnNPs).
- Exploited the dual modulation of fluorescence intensity via photoinduced electron transfer (PET) and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) mechanisms of the hemicyanine dye.
- Fabricated an NFL-Cys-LnNPs nanoprobe for sensitive and specific detection of cysteine.
Main Results:
- Successfully demonstrated that hemicyanine dye can act as an efficient antenna to sensitize NIR-IIb emission from LnNPs.
- Showcased the NFL-Cys-LnNPs nanoprobe's ability to monitor cysteine levels in the liver of diabetic mice during disease progression.
- Validated the probe's utility in evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of drugs for diabetes.
Conclusions:
- Introduced hemicyanine dye as a versatile antenna for designing NIR-IIb probes, expanding detectable targets beyond traditional cyanine dyes.
- Presented a novel NFL-Cys-LnNPs nanoprobe as an effective tool for in vivo cysteine imaging in diabetes research.
- Established a new conceptual framework for developing advanced NIR-IIb probes based on sensitization mechanisms.

