Enzyme-activatable fluorescent probes for β-galactosidase: from design to biological applications

beta-Galactosidase (beta-gal), a typical hydrolytic enzyme, is a vital biomarker for cell senescence and primary ovarian cancers. Developing precise and rapid methods to monitor beta-gal activity is crucial for early cancer diagnoses and biological research. Over the past decade, activatable optical probes have become a powerful tool for real-time tracking and in vivo visualization with high sensitivity and specificity. In this review, we summarize the latest advances in the design of beta-gal-activatable probes via spectral characteristics and responsiveness regulation for biological applications, and particularly focus on the molecular design strategy from turn-on mode to ratiometric mode, from aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) probes to aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-active probes, from near-infrared-I (NIR-I) imaging to NIR-II imaging, and from one-mode to dual-mode of chemo-fluoro-luminescence sensing beta-gal activity.

Automated summary

Beta-galactosidase is an important biomarker for cell senescence and primary ovarian cancers. Advances in activatable probes for monitoring its activity include spectral characteristics, responsiveness regulation, and development from one-mode to dual-mode imaging.