Spotlight on Mitochondrial Health: A Trailblazing\nFluorescent Tool for Cancer Detection and Surgical Guidance

Mitochondria\nplay a pivotal role in maintaining normal physiological\nfunctions. Mitochondrial autophagy, namely, mitophagy, is a selective\ncatabolic disposal of impaired mitochondria through an autophagic\nmechanism during episodes of mitochondrial harm. This selective removal,\ne.g., mitophagy, is essential for mitochondrial quality control and\nis closely related to the pathogenesis of many diseases. The abnormal\nbuildup of defective mitochondria in vivo was used as a target to\nprevent the development of cancer. The mitochondrial autophagy process\nof disease-related cells is usually accompanied by a decrease in polarity\nand pH, and the fluorescence sensing effects caused by these two factors\nare usually contradictory. Here, we propose a reinventing strategy\nto develop a dual-channel and dual-responsive fluorescent probe <b>HDTVB</b> that is capable of tracking mitochondrial autophagy\nby monitoring fluctuations in mitochondrial pH and polarity. Based\non the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) moiety and hemicarpine moiety\npush–pull system with activated near-infrared (NIR) emission\nand pH-activatable cyclization reaction, <b>HDTVB</b> was able\nto differentiate tumors from normal sites via polarity- and acidity-triggered\nstructural changes of the probe in the course of mitochondrial autophagy. <b>HDTVB</b> is expected to be applied to clinical diagnosis and\ntumor excision guided by fluorescence, offering a new route in physiological\nand biochemical research.