Applications of bioorthogonal reactions in bioimaging

The rapid development of bioorthogonal chemistry in the preceding decade has enabled precise, specific, selective labelling and accurate modulation of biological processes in vivo. The ability of bioorthogonal chemistry to occur rapidly in a living system without interfering with native biochemical processes has shown great potential for a variety of biological applications. In recent years, the application of bioorthogonal chemistry in bioimaging has achieved significant progress due to its high selectivity and excellent biocompatibility. This paper reviews recent advances in bioorthogonal chemistry for in vivo bioimaging, focusing on the commonly used types of bioorthogonal reactions (e.g., copper-catalyzed/copper-free click chemistry, inverse electron-demand Diels-Alder reaction, etc.) and their applications in biomolecular labelling and tracking, tumour imaging, and visualization of therapeutic processes. Furthermore, future directions in this field are discussed, with the aim of stimulating research interest and promoting further breakthroughs of bioorthogonal chemistry in bioimaging.