A red-emissive antibody-AIEgen conjugate for turn-on and wash-free imaging of specific cancer cells.

An antibody-AIEgen conjugate is designed and developed as a "turn-on" fluorescent probe for wash-free specific cancer cell imaging. The cetuximab-conjugated AIEgen shows red fluorescence only when it is internalized and accumulated in cancer cells with overexpressed epidermal growth factor receptor through endocytosis. The probe first lights up the lysosomes.

A photostable AIE luminogen with near infrared emission for monitoring morphological change of plasma membrane.

The morphology of plasma membrane is dynamic and keeps changing in order to maintain its homeostasis. Abnormality in cell membrane shape could be viewed as a sign of unhealthy cells. A lipophilic cyanostilbene derivative (AS2CP-TPA) composed of a hydrophilic pyridinium salt and a hydrophobic triphenylamino group was designed for staining the cell membrane and monitoring membrane morphology under different conditions.

Long-Term Real-Time In Vivo Drug Release Monitoring with AIE Thermogelling Polymer.

A new drug concentration meter is developed. In vivo drug release can be monitored precisely via a self-indicating drug delivery system consisting of a new aggregation-induced emission thermoresponsive hydrogel. By taking the advantage of a self-indicating system, one can easily detect the depletion of drugs, and reinject to maintain a dosage in the optimal therapeutic window.

A photostable AIEgen for nucleolus and mitochondria imaging with organelle-specific emission.

Dynamic visualization of the morphology of membrane-bound organelles offers useful insights for studying various intracellular activities. Fluorescent probes with superior specificity and photostability are desirable for long-term tracking of these processes. In this work, we present the design and synthesis of an α-cyanostilbene derivative, abbreviated as ASCP, with the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristic, and its application in cell imaging.

Photostable AIE fluorogens for accurate and sensitive detection of S-phase DNA synthesis and cell proliferation.

Two azide-functionalized tetraphenylethene derivatives with AIE features are synthesized and used as fluorescent agents for detecting S-phase DNA synthesis and cell proliferation based on EdU assay. Compared to the Alexa-azide dye, a commercial DNA bioprobe, the AIE fluorogens show better photostability and sensitivity, making them promising alternatives.

Real-time monitoring of the mitophagy process by a photostable fluorescent mitochondrion-specific bioprobe with AIE characteristics.

An isothiocyanate-functionalized tetraphenylethene is synthesized and used as a fluorescent bioprobe for mitochondrion imaging with high specificity and photostability. The covalent conjugation of the bioprobe to mitochondrial proteins endows it with high resistance to microenvironmental changes, enabling it for real-time monitoring of mitophagy.

A tetraphenylethene-based caged compound: synthesis, properties and applications.

A tetraphenylethene-based caged compound (TPE-C) is designed and synthesized. TPE-C is non-fluorescent either in solution or in aggregated state, but its emission can be induced to emit strong cyan emission in the aggregated state by UV irradiation. This property enables TPE-C to be applied in photo-patterning and anti-counterfeiting related areas.