A versatile NIR probe for multifunctional detection of tumors, fatty liver, and liver injury
Abnormal viscosity, reduced pH, and elevated levels of superoxide anion (O<sub>2</sub>˙<sup>-</sup>) in living cells are often associated with various biological dysfunctions and oxidative stress. Although some studies have reported probes capable of detecting one or two of these biomarkers, achieving simultaneous, rapid, and convenient detection of all three remains a significant challenge. Herein, we present a rhodamine based probe, DM301, which selectively activates fluorescence in three distinct channels in response to pH, viscosity, and O<sub>2</sub>˙<sup>-</sup> respectively. Systematic spectroscopic analyses demonstrated DM301's exceptional response to these biomarkers, while <i>in vitro</i> experiments confirmed its mitochondrial specificity at the cellular level. To validate the diagnostic potential of DM301, we employed various disease models, including 4T1 tumors, fatty liver, and drug-induced liver injury, all associated with these abnormal biomarkers. <i>In vivo</i>, experiments further established the safety of DM301 and demonstrated its specificity to pH, viscosity, and O<sub>2</sub>˙<sup>-</sup> across different pathological conditions in living organisms. We anticipate that these findings will offer practical and effective strategies for investigating the physiological roles of biomarkers and analytes in diverse biological systems.
Authors
- Hui Zhou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7332-4936)
- Keith Man‐Chung Wong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5551-7806)
- Qihang Ding (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2665-9036)
- Tony D. James (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4095-2191)
- Quli Fan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9387-0165)
- Xinyue Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4152-2430)
- Jun Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3689-8946)
- Pengfei Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0390-3806)
- Amit Sharma (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2815-8208)
- Jong Seung Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3477-1172)
- Chao Yin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8211-2601)
- Jiqiang Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7875-6567)
Institutions
- Korea University (KR)
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Southern University of Science and Technology (CN)
- Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications (CN)
- Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (CN)
- University of Bath (GB)
- Henan Normal University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Chemical Science
- Published
- 2025-01-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1039/d5sc01433f
- Citations
- 4
- Primary Topic
- Molecular Sensors and Ion Detection
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 3.03
Funders
- Henan Normal University
- University of Bath
- National Research Foundation
- Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Government of Jiangsu Province
- National Research Foundation of Korea
- China Scholarship Council
- Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province
- Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications
- Nanjing University
- Major Basic Research Project of the Natural Science Foundation of the Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions
- Science and Engineering Research Board