Biocompatible and Water-Soluble Shortwave-Infrared (SWIR)-Emitting Cyanine-Based Fluorescent Probes for In Vivo Multiplexed Molecular Imaging

Extending molecular imaging into the shortwave-infrared (SWIR, 900-1400 nm) region provides deep tissue visualization of biomolecules in the living system resulting from the low tissue autofluorescence and scattering. Looking at the Food and Drug Administration-approved and clinical trial near-infrared (NIR) probes, only indocyanine green (ICG) and its analogues have been approved for biomedical applications. Excitation wavelength less than 800 nm limits these probes from deep tissue penetration and noninvasive fluorescence imaging. Herein, we present the synthesis of ICG-based π-conjugation-extended cyanine dyes, ICG-C9 and ICG-C11 as biocompatible, and water-soluble SWIR-emitting probes with emission wavelengths of 922 and 1010 nm in water, respectively. Also, ICG-, ICG-C9-, and ICG-C11-based fluorescent labeling agents have been synthesized for the development of SWIR molecular imaging probes. Using the fluorescence of ICG, ICG-C9, and ICG-C11, we demonstrate three-color SWIR fluorescence imaging of breast tumors by visualizing surface receptors (EGFR and HER2) and tumor vasculature in living mice. Furthermore, we demonstrate two-color SWIR fluorescence imaging of breast tumor apoptosis using an ICG-conjugated anticancer drug, Kadcyla and ICG-C9 or ICG-C11-conjugated annexin V. Finally, we show long-term (38 days) SWIR fluorescence imaging of breast tumor shrinkage induced by Kadcyla. This study provides a general strategy for multiplexed fluorescence molecular imaging with biocompatible and water-soluble SWIR-emitting cyanine probes.

Five near-infrared-emissive graphene quantum dots for multiplex bioimaging

Due to high tissue penetration depth and low autofluorescence backgrounds, near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging has recently become an advantageous diagnostic technique used in a variety of fields. However, most of the NIR fluorophores do not have therapeutic delivery capabilities, exhibit low photostabilities, and raise toxicity concerns. To address these issues, we developed and tested five types of biocompatible graphene quantum dots (GQDs) exhibiting spectrally-separated fluorescence in the NIR range of 928-1053 nm with NIR excitation. Their optical properties in the NIR are attributed to either rare-earth metal dopants (Ho-NGQDs, Yb-NGQDs, Nd-NGQDs) or defect-states (nitrogen doped GQDS (NGQDs), reduced graphene oxides) as verified by Hartree-Fock calculations. Moderate up to 1.34% quantum yields of these GQDs are well-compensated by their remarkable >4 h photostability. At the biocompatible concentrations of up to 0.5-2 mg ml-1 GQDs successfully internalize into HEK-293 cells and enable in vitro imaging in the visible and NIR. Tested all together in HEK-293 cells five GQD types enable simultaneous multiplex imaging in the NIR-I and NIR-II shown for the first time in this work for GQD platforms. Substantial photostability, spectrally-separated NIR emission, and high biocompatibility of five GQD types developed here suggest their promising potential in multianalyte testing and multiwavelength bioimaging of combination therapies.

Promises of anionic calix[n]arenes in life science: State of the art in 2023

Because they hold together molecules by means of non-covalent interactions - relatively weak and thus, potentially reversible - the anionic calixarenes have become an interesting tool for efficiently binding a large range of ligands - from gases to large organic molecules. Being highly water soluble and conveniently biocompatible, they showed growing interest for many interdisciplinary fields, particularly in biology and medicine. Thanks to their intrinsic conical shape, they provide suitable platforms, from vesicles to bilayers. This is a valuable characteristic, as so they mimic the biologically functional architectures. The anionic calixarenes propose efficient alternatives for overcoming the limitations linked to drug delivery and bioavailability, as well as drug resistance along with limiting the undesirable side effects. Moreover, the dynamic non-covalent binding with the drugs enables predictable and on demand drug release, controlled by the stimuli present in the targeted environment. This particular feature instigated the use of these versatile, stimuli-responsive compounds for sensing biomarkers of diverse pathologies. The present review describes the recent achievements of the anionic calixarenes in the field of life science, from drug carriers to biomedical engineering, with a particular outlook on their applications for the diagnosis and treatment of different pathologies.

ανβ3 integrin-targeted ICG-derived probes for imaging-guided surgery and photothermal therapy of oral cancer

Indocyanine green (ICG), as the only Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved fluorescence imaging agent, has been widely applied in clinics for near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging-guided surgery and photothermal therapy of cancers. However, its lack of target specificity and poor photo and photothermal stabilities seriously restrict its wide application in clinical practice. Herein, we developed ICG-derived NIR fluorescent probes consisting of a cypate fluorophore and one or two cyclic-(arginine-glycine-aspartic acid) (cRGD) peptides that can specifically target αvβ3 integrin for accurate diagnosis and therapy of oral tumors. Probe Cy-2RGD has been demonstrated to possess bright NIR emission, great tumor targeting capability and a photothermal effect. Moreover, it could be successfully used for effective imaging-guided surgical resection as well as photothermal therapy of oral tumors. This work could provide a valuable tool for sensitive detection and accurate treatment of malignant tumors.

Enhanced stability and photothermal efficiency of Indocyanine Green J-aggregates by nanoformulation with Calix[4]arene for photothermal therapy of cancers

Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a method of growing attention, owing to its controllable process, high efficiency and minimal side effect. Indocyanine Green (ICG) is as Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved agent that stands on the frontline of further developments of PTT toward clinics. However, the applicability of ICG-mediated PTT is limited by the rapid in vivo clearance and photo-degradation of ICG. To improve those parameters, nanosized ICG-loaded nanoparticles (ICG-J/CX) were fabricated in this study by co-assembly of anionic ICG J-aggregates (ICG-J) with cationic tetraguanidinium calix[4]arene (CX). This very simple approach produces ICG-J/CX with a well-defined nanometer range size and a close to neutral charge. The nanoparticles demonstrate high photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) and dramatically improved photostability, as compared with ICG. The in vitro cellular uptake and cytotoxicity studies further demonstrated that the ICG-J/CX nanoparticles enhance uptake and photothermal efficiency in comparison with ICG or non-formulated ICG-J, overall demonstrating that ICG-J/CX mediated photothermal therapy have significant potential for attaining cancer treatment.

Arrangement of Indocyanine Green in a 1.5-Nanometer Channel to Achieve High-Efficiency Imaging of the Intestinal Lymphatic System

The complications of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) seriously endanger people’s health, such as bleeding, polyp hyperplasia, and even cancer. Although the precise pathophysiology of IBD is unknown, alterations in the intestinal lymphatic network, such as lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic vessel dysfunction, are well-established features. Therefore, the development of a reliable technology is urgently required, with a stereoscopic, deep, and high-resolution technology for IBD lymphatic targeting imaging in clinical practice. However, indocyanine green, the only clinically approved imaging agent by the Food and Drug Administration, can easily cause self-aggregation or be interfered with by microenvironments, causing fluorescence quenching, which seriously affects the imaging and detective capabilities. Herein, indocyanine green molecules are arranged in a 1.5-nanometer one-dimensional channel (TpPa-1@ICG). Based on this specified structure, the fluorescence enhancement effect is observed in the TpPa-1@ICG resultant, and the fluorescence intensity is enhanced by 27%. In addition, the ICG-incorporated porous solid reveals outstanding solvent (dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, etc.) and thermal (>300 °C) stability. After modifying the target molecules, TpPa-1@ICG showed excellent imaging ability for intestinal lymphatic vessels, providing a new imaging tool for IBDs research.

A Facile and Highly Efficient Approach to Obtain a Fluorescent Chromogenic Porous Organic Polymer for Lymphatic Targeting Imaging

Porous organic polymers have an open architecture, excellent stability, and tunable structural components, revealing great application potential in the field of fluorescence imaging, but this part of the research is still in its infancy. In this study, we aimed to tailor the physical and chemical characteristics of indocyanine green using sulfonic acid groups and conjugated fragments, and prepared amino-grafted porous polymers. The resulting material had excellent solvent and thermal stability, and possessed a relatively large pore structure with a size of 3.4 nm. Based on the synergistic effect of electrostatic bonding and π–π interactions, the fluorescent chromogenic agent, indocyanine green, was tightly incorporated into the pore cavity of POP solids through a one-step immersion method. Accordingly, the fluorescent chromogenic POP demonstrated excellent imaging capabilities in biological experiments. This preparation of fluorescent chromogenic porous organic polymer illustrates a promising application of POP-based solids in both fluorescence imaging and biomedicine applications.

A near-infrared fluorescent long-chain fatty acid toward optical imaging of cardiac metabolism in living mice

A near infrared fluorescence labelled long-chain fatty acid (FFA), Alexa680-BMPP (BMPP: 15-(4-(3-aminopropyl)phenyl)-3-methyl pentadecanoic acid), was synthesized as a fluorescent probe toward optical imaging of cardiac metabolism.

Polysorbate- and DNA-Mediated Synthesis and Strong, Stable, and Tunable Near-Infrared Photoluminescence of Plasmonic Long-Body Nanosnowmen

Direct photoluminescence (PL) from metal nanoparticles (NPs) without chemical dyes is promising for sensing and imaging applications since this offers a highly tunable platform for controlling and enhancing the signals in various conditions and does not suffer from photobleaching or photoblinking. It is, however, difficult to synthesize metal NPs with a high quantum yield (QY), particularly in the near-infrared (NIR) region where deep penetration and reduced light scattering are advantageous for bioimaging. Herein, we designed and synthesized Au-Ag long-body nanosnowman structures (LNSs), facilitated by polysorbate 20 (Tween 20). The DNA-engineered conductive junction between the head and body parts results in a charge transfer plasmon (CTP) mode in the NIR region. The junction morphology can be controlled by the DNA sequence on the Au core, and polythymine and polyadenine induced thick and thin junctions, respectively. We found that the LNSs with a thicker conductive junction generates the stronger CTP peak and PL signal than the LNSs with a thinner junction. The Au-Ag LNSs showed much higher intensities in both PL and QY than widely studied Au nanorods with similar localized surface plasmon resonance wavelengths, and notably, the LNSs displayed high photostability and robust, sustainable PL signals under continuous laser exposure for >15 h. Moreover, the PL emission from Au-Ag LNSs could be imaged in a deeper scattering medium than fluorescent silica NPs. Finally, highly robust PL-based cell images can be obtained using Au-Ag LNSs without significant signal change while repetitively imaging cells. The results offer the insights in plasmonic NIR probe design, and show that chemical dye-free LNSs can be a very promising candidate with a high QY and a robust, reliable NIR PL signal for NIR sensing and imaging applications.

Co-Loading of Temozolomide and Curcumin into a Calix[4]arene-Based Nanocontainer for Potential Combined Chemotherapy: Binding Features, Enhanced Drug Solubility and Stability in Aqueous Medium

The co-delivery of anticancer drugs into tumor cells by a nanocarrier may provide a new paradigm in chemotherapy. Temozolomide and curcumin are anticancer drugs with a synergistic effect in the treatment of multiform glioblastoma. In this study, the entrapment and co-entrapment of temozolomide and curcumin in a p-sulfonato-calix[4]arene nanoparticle was investigated by NMR spectroscopy, UV-vis spectrophotometry, isothermal titration calorimetry, and dynamic light scattering. Critical micellar concentration, nanoparticle size, zeta potential, drug loading percentage, and thermodynamic parameters were all consistent with a drug delivery system. Our data showed that temozolomide is hosted in the cavity of the calix[4]arene building blocks while curcumin is entrapped within the nanoparticle. Isothermal titration calorimetry evidenced that drug complexation and entrapment are entropy driven processes. The loading in the calixarene-based nanocontainer enhanced the solubility and half-life of both drugs, whose medicinal efficacy is affected by low solubility and rapid degradation. The calixarene-based nanocontainer appears to be a promising new candidate for nanocarrier-based drug combination therapy for glioblastoma.

Photophysical Properties of Indocyanine Green in the Shortwave Infrared Region

With the growing development of new contrast agents for optical imaging using near-infrared and shortwave infrared (SWIR) wavelengths, it is essential to have consistent bench-marks for emitters in these regions. Indocyanine green (ICG), a ubiquitous and FDA-approved organic dye and optical imaging agent, is commonly employed as a standard for photophysical properties and biological performance for imaging experiments at these wavelengths. Yet, its reported photophysical properties across organic and aqueous solvents vary greatly in the literature, which hinders its ability to be used as a consistent benchmark. Herein, we measure photophysical properties in organic and aqueous solvents using InGaAs detection (~950-1,700 nm), providing particular relevance for SWIR imaging.

Shortwave-Infrared Fluorescent Molecular Imaging Probes Based on π-Conjugation Extended Indocyanine Green

Recently, shortwave-infrared (SWIR) fluorescence imaging for the optical diagnostics of diseases has attracted much attention as a new noninvasive imaging modality. For this application, the development of SWIR molecular imaging probes with high biocompatibility is crucial. Although many types of biocompatible SWIR fluorescent probes based on organic dyes have been reported, there are no SWIR-emitting molecular imaging probes that can be used for the detection of specific biomolecules in vivo. To apply SWIR-emitting molecular imaging probes to biomedical fields, we developed a biocompatible SWIR fluorescent dye based on π-conjugation extended indocyanine green (ICG), where ICG is the only approved near-infrared dye by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in the clinic. Using the π-conjugation extended ICG, we prepared SWIR molecular imaging probes that can be used for in vivo tumor imaging. Herein, we demonstrate noninvasive SWIR fluorescence imaging of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-positive breast tumors using π-conjugation extended ICG and monoclonal antibody conjugates. The presented π-conjugation extended ICG analog probes will be a breakthrough to apply SWIR fluorescence imaging in biomedical fields.

Dual-colour (near-infrared/visible) emitting annexin V for fluorescence imaging of tumour cell apoptosis in vitro and in vivo

Indocyanine green (ICG) labelled recombinant annexin V proteins (ICG-EGFP-Annexin V and ICG-mPlum-Annexin V) were synthesized for dual-colour fluorescence imaging of tumour cell apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. The ICG-labelled fluorescent annexin V proteins showed dual (near-infrared and visible) fluorescence emissions with binding ability to phosphatidylserines on the plasma membranes of apoptotic cells. Although several types of fluorescence labelled annexin V (e.g. FITC-annexin V, Cy3- and Cy5-annexin V) have been reported, there are no dual-colour (near-infrared/visible) emitting apoptosis-detection probes which can be used in vitro and in vivo. In this paper, the utilities of the dual-colour fluorescent annexin V are demonstrated for in vitro and in vivo fluorescence imaging of the apoptosis of human breast tumour cells induced by an antibody-drug conjugate, Kadcyla. The results suggest that the present annexin V probes will be useful to visualize the action of anti-cancer drugs against tumours both at the cellular and whole-body level.

Shortwave-infrared (SWIR) fluorescence molecular imaging using indocyanine green-antibody conjugates for the optical diagnostics of cancerous tumours

Recently, shortwave-infrared (SWIR, 1000-1400 nm) fluorescence imaging has attracted much attention due to the higher contrast and sensitivity with deeper penetration depths compared to conventional visible and near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging. For the SWIR fluorescence imaging, the development of fluorescent probes emitting over 1000 nm is necessary. So far, a variety of SWIR fluorescent probes based on single-walled carbon nanotubes, quantum dots, rare-metal doped nanomaterials, and organic dyes have been developed. However, there are a very limited number of biocompatible SWIR fluorescent probes, which can be used to biomedical applications. Among NIR and SWIR fluorescent probes, indocyanine green (ICG) is the only fluorescent dye approved by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clinical use. Although ICG has a fluorescence maximum at a NIR region (ca. 830 nm), ICG emits in the SWIR region over 1000 nm. Here, we present ICG-based SWIR fluorescence molecular imaging for the highly-sensitive optical detection of breast and skin tumours in mice. As SWIR fluorescent molecular-imaging probes, we synthesized ICG-antibody conjugates, which prepared from anti-HER2 antibody (Herceptin), anti-EGFR antibody (Erbitux), anti-VEGFR-2 antibody (Cyramza), and anti-PD-L1 antibody (anti-PD-L1 ab). The present SWIR molecular imaging probes specifically accumulated to the breast and skin tumours, and their SWIR fluorescence images (>1000 nm) showed 1.5-2.0 times higher contrast than NIR tumour images taken at 830 nm. We show that the SWIR fluorescence imaging using ICG-antibody conjugates can be used for the elucidation of expression level of cancer-specific membrane proteins, HER2, EGFR, VEGFR-2, and PD-L1 in vivo. We also show that the SWIR fluorescence imaging enables quantitative analysis of the change in the size of tumour treated with an anti-cancer drug, Kadcyla. Our findings suggest that the SWIR fluorescence molecular imaging using ICG-antibody conjugates has potential to use for the optical diagnostics of cancerous tumors in medical and clinical fields.

A route to virtually unlimited functionalization of water-soluble p-sulfonatocalix[4]arenes

The functionality of p-sulfonatocalix[4]arenes can be easily extended using the propargylation/CuAAC reaction sequence, which allows the introduction of up to four substituted triazole units to the narrow rims of the macrocycles while maintaining their cone shapes and water solubility and, thus, biomedical applicability.

Excitation Transfer in Hybrid Nanostructures of Colloidal Ag2S/TGA Quantum Dots and Indocyanine Green J-Aggregates

The regularities of the electron excitations exchange in hybrid associates of colloidal Ag₂S quantum dots, passivated with thioglycolic acid (Ag₂S/TGA QDs) with an average size of 2.2 and 3.7 nm with Indocyanine Green J-aggregates (ICG) were studied in this work by methods of absorption and luminescence spectroscopy. It was shown that IR luminescence sensitization of Ag₂S/TGA QDs with an average size of 3.7 nm in the region of 1040 nm is possible due to non-radiative resonance energy transfer from Ag₂S/TGA QDs with an average size of 2.2 nm and luminescence peak at 900 nm using ICG J-aggregate as an exciton bridge. The sensitization efficiency is 0.33. This technique provides a transition from the first therapeutic window (NIR-I, 700-950 nm) to the second (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm). It can allow high to increase the imaging in vivo resolution.

Para-sulfonatocalix[n]arene-based biomaterials: Recent progress in pharmaceutical and biological applications

The history, properties, and characteristics of para-sulfonato-calixarenes are described. On the one hand, the inherent antibacterial and antifungal properties against microorganisms, and on the other hand non-toxicity of these supramolecules toward human organs are analyzed. The resulting biocompatibility of para-sulfonato-calixarenes makes them potential candidates for diverse life sciences and pharmaceutical applications without significant side effects. The interactions with different drugs, the capability of drug encapsulation, delivery, and release, the formation of host-quest assemblies and inclusion complexation between para-sulfonato-calixarenes and drugs were also investigated in detail. Besides, their function in cancer treatment and their toxicity against different cancer cell lines were fully reviewed and summarized. Afterward, the capability of these macrocyclic compounds for biosensing of organic compounds, peptides and enzymes activity was highlighted. In this review, we also take a brief look at recent reports on the applications of para-sulfonato-calixarenes in fluorescence imaging and their usage as highly stable and bright probes for in vivo and in vitro imaging and sensing.

Supramolecular complexes for nanomedicine

Host-guest interactions studied in supramolecular chemistry have been inspired by interactions between enzymes and substrates. Furthermore, most of the interactions involved in the cells are based on non-covalent bonds between two or more molecules. The common aspects between supramolecular chemistry and medicine have led to the development of a "new" area called "supramolecular medicine", in which non-covalent interactions and self-assembly processes are applied within several medical fields. The object of this Digest is to offer an account of how some macrocyclic hosts (e.g. cucurbiturils, cyclodextrins, pillararenes and calixarenes) are employed in supramolecular medicine creating new supramolecular hydrogels used as biomaterials for human tissue in regenerative medicine, and a diagnostic instrument, in-vitro and in-vivo, for the detection of diseases, as well as for the investigation of cell morphology.

Visualization of murine lymph vessels using photoacoustic imaging with contrast agents

Metastasis frequently occurs even in the early stage of breast cancer. This research studied the feasibility of using photoacoustic (PA) imaging for identifying metastasis in the lymph vessels of mice. The photoacoustic efficiency of various contrast agents was investigated, and the influence of scattered light was evaluated by using a lymph vessel phantom. The lymph vessels of mice were then visualized using the selected contrast agents: indocyanine green (ICG) and gold nanorods (AuNR). The attenuation of the PA imaging was -1.90 dB/mm, whereas that of the fluorescence imaging was -4.45 dB/mm. The results indicate the potential of identifying sentinel lymph nodes by using PA imaging with these contrast agents.

A zeolitic imidazolate framework-8-based indocyanine green theranostic agent for infrared fluorescence imaging and photothermal therapy

A zeolitic imidazolate framework-8-based indocyanine green theranostic agent was constructed for fluorescence imaging and photothermal therapy of tumors in vivo.

Chromium-based metallosurfactants: synthesis, physicochemical characterization and probing of their interactions with xanthene dyes

The solubilization of xanthene dyes of variable solubility has been estimated in chromium based metallosurfactants.

BF2-azadipyrromethene NIR-emissive fluorophores with research and clinical potential

The use of near-infrared fluorescence for in vivo research and intraoperative clinical imaging is rapidly expanding, with new applications being proposed and developed. While imaging hardware and software have significantly progressed in recent times, the molecular fluorescent agents remain a limiting factor. In this report, the design, synthesis, photophysical characterization and bio-medical imaging assessment of two new NIR-fluorophores based on the BF₂-azadipyrromethene fluorophore class are described. Inclusion of dimethylamino substituents on these BF₂-azadipyrromethene probes results in very large bathochromic shifts with photophysical measurements showing absorption and emission maxima between 757 and 818 nm within the desired NIR spectra region. Testing of the probes shows that they are suitable for fluorescence imaging with both research and clinical instrumentation. Preclinical imaging assessment shows their suitability as fluorescent markers (tattoos) of lesions for intraoperative identification and lymphatic mapping in ex vivo human colonic tissue. These new clinical wavelength-compatible fluorophores may contribute towards the on-going expansion of medical uses for NIR-fluorescence.