Comprehensive review of protein imaging with AIEgens conjugated probes: From concentration to conformation

Proteins are an essential component of living organisms, and the study of their structure and function is of great importance in biological and medical research. In recent years, the remarkable phenomenon of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) has been extensively utilized in protein detection. Significant progress has been made in the development of aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens), which have proven invaluable in protein imaging. This review highlights AIEgen-conjugated probes for imaging proteins in tumor cells through various mechanisms, including physical interactions, ligand binding, and enzymatic cleavage. These probes exploit the AIE effect to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio, providing important tools for protein research. Additionally, these probes can be used to study structural changes in intracellular protein phase separation processes, such as unfolded, misfolded, fibrous, and amorphous aggregates. The above research achievements presented lay the foundation for the widespread application of AIEgen-conjugated probes in the biomedical field and are expected to stimulate further development in related research.