Monitoring the Real-Time Circulatory System-Related Physiological and Pathological Processes In Vivo Using a Multifunctional NIR-II Probe

The dysfunction of the circulatory system leads to various pathological processes with high morbidity. Recently, fluorescence imaging in the near-infrared II (NIR-II) window (1000-1700 nm) has attracted immense attention in many biological processes. The rapid metabolism and low toxicity of some NIR-II organic small molecules indicate their feasibility for use in visualizing the circulatory system. However, most of the reported NIR-II organic small molecules presently encounter such dilemmas as complicated synthetic procedures and low quantum yields (QY). To address this challenge, a series of facilely prepared NIR-II organic small molecule CQ-T (CQ-1-4T) are designed and these compounds are loaded with biocompatible human serum albumin (HSA) to improve QY. Among them, CQL (CQ-4T/HSA) demonstrates superior optical properties and a 6.65-fold increase in fluorescence compared to the small molecule alone. Further work validates the efficacy and accuracy of CQL in monitoring the real-time circulatory system-related physiological and pathological processes in vivo, including thrombosis, peripheral arterial disease, tumor angiogenesis, and lymphatic drainage. Moreover, the excellent optical properties of CQL enable precise tumor resection and sentinel lymph node biopsy under NIR-II navigation. In conclusion, CQL is a novel and promising NIR-II organic probe with multifunctional imaging capability. It is highly desirable to accelerate its future translations into the clinic.