Shortwave Infrared Fluorofluorophores for Multicolor In Vivo Imaging

  • Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2023 Feb 1;62(6):e202215200. doi: 10.1002/anie.202215200.
Irene Lim  1 ,  Eric Yu Lin  1 ,  Joseph Garcia  1 ,  Shang Jia  1 ,  Robert E Sommerhalter  2 ,  Subrata K Ghosh  2 ,  John A Gladysz  2 ,  Ellen M Sletten  1
Affiliations
  • 1. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, 607 Charles E. Young Dr. East, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
  • 2. Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, PO Box 30012, College Station, TX 77842, USA.
PMID: 36470851 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202215200
Abstract

Developing chemical tools to detect and influence biological processes is a cornerstone of chemical biology. Here we combine two tools which rely on orthogonality- perfluorocarbons and multiplexed shortwave infrared (SWIR) fluorescence imaging- to visualize nanoemulsions in real time in living mice. Drawing inspiration from fluorous and SWIR fluorophore development, we prepared two SWIR-emissive, fluorous-soluble chromenylium polymethine dyes. These are the most red-shifted fluorous fluorophores- "fluorofluorophores"-to date. After characterizing the dyes, their utility was demonstrated by tracking perfluorocarbon nanoemulsion biodistribution in vivo. Using an excitation-multiplexed approach to image two variables simultaneously, we gained insight into the importance of size and surfactant identity on biodistribution.

Keywords
Biodistribution; Excitation-based Multiplexed Imaging; Fluorescence Imaging; Perfluorocarbon Emulsion; Shortwave Infrared.
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