Heptamethine cyanines in bioorthogonal chemistry

Due to their excellent fluorescence properties and biological function, cyanine dyes have been widely applied in biological imaging. Heptamethine cyanine (Cy7) dyes, as a type of classic near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent dyes, are considered as one of the effective fluorescent tools in the living organisms due to their good biocompatibility and very low background interference. Bioorthogonal reactions performed in living cells and tissues have developed by leaps and bounds in recent years. The NIR fluorescent labeling technique involving cyanine has attracted widespread attention. This review summarizes their recent application in the field of bioorthogonal imaging, mainly concluding Cy7-type dyes, labeling strategy, bioimaging application, etc . We expect this work can provide some helps for the studies of NIR bioorthogonal reaction in vivo .(c) 2023 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

Automated summary

Cyanine dyes, specifically heptamethine cyanine (Cy7) dyes, have been widely used in biological imaging due to their excellent fluorescence properties and biological function. They are considered effective fluorescent tools in living organisms because of their biocompatibility and low background interference. Recently, there has been significant progress in bioorthogonal reactions performed in living cells and tissues. The use of cyanine dyes in near-infrared fluorescent labeling techniques has attracted considerable attention. This review summarizes the recent applications of Cy7-type dyes in bioorthogonal imaging, including labeling strategy and bioimaging applications. It aims to provide assistance for the study of near-infrared bioorthogonal reactions in vivo.