A molecular rotor visible-near-infrared fluorescence probe based on tetraphenylethylene for early diagnosis of
Jiawei Kong1, Zichen Yang1, Kaizhe Yan1
1School of Phamaceutical Sciences; Institute of Drug Discovery and Development; Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
Abstract:
Foam cells (FC), recognized as an early biomarker for atherosclerosis, exhibit significant increases in intracellular viscosity and hypochlorous acid (HClO) levels during their formation. Based on the above results, the development of a fluorescent probe responsive to both viscosity and HClO is anticipated to become a crucial tool for the early diagnosis of atherosclerosis. In this study, we chose tetraphenylethylene (TPE) as the chromophore for the fluorescence probe. By leveraging its molecular rotor properties, along with electron-donating and conjugation effects, we successfully developed a near-infrared fluorescence probe. This probe integrates intramolecular twisted charge transfer (TICT) and aggregation-induced emission (AIE) mechanisms to achieve dual responsiveness to viscosity and HClO. Furthermore, we evaluated the probe's efficacy in detecting viscosity and HClO both in vitro and in vivo, including in zebrafish models.
