<i>In</i> <i>Vivo</i> Brain Imaging of Amyloid-β Aggregates in Alzheimer’s Disease with a Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probe
Jian Wu, Chenwen Shao, Xiaolian Ye, Xiaojiao Di, Dong‐Dong Li, Hu Zhao, Bing Zhang, Guiquan Chen, Hong‐Ke Liu, Yong Qian
Abstract
Abnormal accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) has been determined to be a critical factor for the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which has motivated the development of new chemical approaches for early sensing and imaging of these Aβ aggregates. Herein, we report a new near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe for the selective monitoring of Aβ aggregates in vivo. This novel fluorophore, named CAQ, was based on the curcumin scaffold and was designed by introducing an intramolecular rotation donor and a quinoline functional group. CAQ was an environment-sensitive fluorescent probe that can be used as a reliable chemical tool for NIR imaging of amyloid plaques in a live Caenorhabditis elegans model of AD and in 5× FAD transgenic mice of early amyloid deposition. Our observations indicate that CAQ is promising for providing comprehensive information on neurodegenerative research, thereby promoting a deeper understanding of Alzheimer’s pathological processes.