Illuminating epilepsy: A deep NIR-I fluorogenic sensor reports peroxynitrite dynamics in vivo

This work presents BDP-NIR-S-Fa, a deep NIR-I fluorogenic probe designed to report peroxynitrite (ONOO^-) dynamics in epilepsy. The probe features a specific emission at 805 nm and responds rapidly and sensitively to ONOO^-. It successfully visualized elevated endogenous ONOO^- flux in both kainic acid-induced epileptic cells and a corresponding mouse model, demonstrating its potential as a diagnostic tool. Beyond detection, BDP-NIR-S-Fa was further applied to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of antiepileptic drugs by monitoring the reduction of ONOO^- levels in treated disease models. The probe also functioned effectively in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced peritonitis model, confirming its broader utility for in vivo ONOO^- imaging. This study provides a robust sensor for real-time tracking of ONOO^- biology, offering a direct method to illuminate its role in seizure pathology and to assess treatment responses, thereby advancing the exploration of early diagnosis and therapy for epilepsy.