Issue 11, 2022

Dual-channel detection of viscosity and pH with a near-infrared fluorescent probe for cancer visualization

Abstract

Compared to ordinary cells, tumor cells have a unique microenvironment, characterized by high viscosity, low pH, high reactive oxygen species level and the overexpression of certain proteases. Therefore, viscosity and pH can be used as important parameters for visualizing cancer. We designed a spiro-oxazolidine compound (In-1) for the dual-channel detection of viscosity and pH, with the red channel for detecting viscosity and the blue channel for pH. Interestingly, In-1 can locate different organelles under different conditions. Under physiological conditions, In-1 efficiently targeted lysosomes and showed that the viscosity of lysosomes increases in cancer cells while the pH decreases, which can be used to distinguish and detect cancer cells and normal cells. When we treated HL-7702 cells with CCCP, the probe could effectively target the mitochondria, and the fluorescence intensity in the pH channel decreased. This indicates that In-1 can be used as a powerful tool to simultaneously monitor viscosity and pH in different organelles, and may have a guiding role in diseases caused by mitochondrial and lysosomal microenvironments.

Graphical abstract: Dual-channel detection of viscosity and pH with a near-infrared fluorescent probe for cancer visualization

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
29 Mar 2022
Accepted
16 Apr 2022
First published
20 Apr 2022

Analyst, 2022,147, 2470-2476

Dual-channel detection of viscosity and pH with a near-infrared fluorescent probe for cancer visualization

X. Zhang, F. Huo, Y. Zhang, Y. Yue and C. Yin, Analyst, 2022, 147, 2470 DOI: 10.1039/D2AN00547F

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