Theranostic Nanoprobes with Aggregation-Induced NIR-II Emission: from Molecular Design to Biomedical Application

The development of fluorophores with other powerful features has received much attention for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Nanoprobes (NPs) with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) have demonstrated superior performance in deeper penetration depth with better resolution, higher signal-to-noise ratio, and lower side effects in the second near-infrared window (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm) than in any other range. Herein, the latest advances in NIR-II AIE NPs in cancer theranostics are summarized. In particular, we focus on the design of multifunctional AIE agents with both strong NIR-II emission and effective photothermal conversion or reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, as well as their translational biomedical applications, including imaging diagnosis, image-guided surgery, and image-guided phototherapy, etc. At the end of this review, the opportunities and challenges of this field are also discussed.

Automated summary

The development of fluorophores with powerful features, such as aggregation-induced emission (AIE), for disease diagnosis and treatment has gained significant attention. Nanoprobes with AIE in the second near-infrared window (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm) have shown great potential in deeper penetration depth, better resolution, higher signal-to-noise ratio, and lower side effects. This article summarizes the latest advances in NIR-II AIE nanoprobes for cancer theranostics, focusing on the design of multifunctional AIE agents with strong NIR-II emission, effective photothermal conversion, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, as well as their biomedical applications in imaging diagnosis, image-guided surgery, and image-guided phototherapy. The opportunities and challenges in this field are also discussed.