Ultrabright NIR-II Nanoprobes for <i>Ex</i> <i>Vivo</i> Bioimaging: Protein Nanoengineering Meets Molecular Engineering.

ABSTRACT: Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging is a powerful, noninvasive tool for cancer diagnosis, enabling real-time, high-resolution visualization of biological systems. While most probes target the first NIR window (NIR-I, 700-900 nm), recent advances focus on the second window (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm), which offers deeper tissue penetration and reduced interference from scattering and autofluorescence. However, many current NIR-II nanoprobes show suboptimal brightness and limited validation in more human-centric models. Here, we present an orthogonal strategy combining molecular engineering, by modulating the amount and position of thiophene moieties in semiconducting polymers (SPs), with protein nanoengineering to develop ultrabright NIR-II imaging probes optimized for ex vivo bioima

SUBMITTER: Vasquez I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12715628 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature