Paired Agent Fluorescence Imaging of Cancer in a Living Mouse Using Preassembled Squaraine Molecular Probes with Emission Wavelengths of 690 and 830 nm.

New methods are described for the construction of targeted fluorescence probes for imaging cancer and the assessment of tumor targeting performance in a living mouse model. A novel noncovalent assembly process was used to fabricate a set of structurally related targeted fluorescent probes with modular differences in three critical assembly components: the emission wavelength of the squaraine fluorochrome, the number of cRGDfK peptide units that target the cancer cells, and the length of the polyethylene glycol chains as pharmacokinetic controllers. Selective targeting of cancer cells was proven by a series of cell microscopy experiments followed by in vivo imaging of subcutaneous tumors in living mice.

Croconaine Rotaxane Dye with 984 nm Absorption: Wavelength-Selective Photothermal Heating.

Croconaines are an emerging class of near-infrared dyes that are useful for various sensing, photothermal, optoelectronic, and photoacoustic applications. Previous work encapsulated a dumbbell-shaped croconaine dye whose structure contains two thiophene flanking units inside a tetralactam macrocycle and produced a croconaine rotaxane with a narrow 824 nm absorption band. Herein, a new rotaxane is reported that encapsulates a croconaine dye with two thienothiophene flanking units.