Activatable peptide-AIEgen conjugates for cancer imaging
Sisi Zhou1, Xianbao Sun2, Gaolin Liang2
1Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Smart Carbon-Rich Materials and Device, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University Nanjing 211189 China xbsun@seu.edu.cn gliang@seu.edu.cn.
Chemical Science
|March 10, 2025
Summary
Peptide-AIEgen conjugates combine peptide biocompatibility with AIEgen fluorescence for advanced cancer imaging. This review highlights recent breakthroughs in activatable conjugates for precise tumor visualization.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
- Chemical Biology
Background:
- Aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) offer unique fluorescence properties.
- Peptides provide biocompatibility, low toxicity, and immunogenicity.
- Combining AIEgens and peptides creates conjugates with enhanced properties for biomedical applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advancements in activatable peptide-AIEgen conjugates for tumor imaging.
- To highlight design strategies, mechanisms, and performance of these conjugates.
- To discuss future opportunities in the field.
Main Methods:
- Review of scientific literature published from 2022 to present.
- Focus on peptide-AIEgen conjugates designed for tumor imaging.
- Analysis of design rationales, operational mechanisms, and imaging performance.
Main Results:
- Peptide-AIEgen conjugates demonstrate improved tumor targeting and selectivity.
- Activatable conjugates enable "smart" and precise tumor imaging with high signal-to-background ratios.
- Recent developments show significant progress in biocompatibility and imaging capabilities.
Conclusions:
- Peptide-AIEgen conjugates are highly promising for cancer diagnosis and therapy.
- Activatable designs offer superior performance for tumor imaging.
- Further research holds potential for novel applications in precision medicine.
