An RGD modified water-soluble fluorophore probe for <i>in vivo</i> NIR-II imaging of thrombosis
Yanping Wu, Chao Wang, Jiaqi Guo, Abdlay Carvalho, Yuyu Yao, Pengfei Sun, Quli Fan
Abstract
was synthesized by sequential modification of PEGylated TTQ, followed by c(RGD) condensation. Signal strength was continuously monitored for 24 h following TTQ-PEG-c(RGD) or non-specific fluorescent dye injection. The contralateral external jugular vein, sham surgery and a competitive inhibition experiment served as controls. TTQ-PEG-c(RGD) presented high NIR-II intensity, good stability and excellent affinity for activated platelets. The NIR-II fluorescence signal of TTQ-PEG-c(RGD) injected mice significantly increased at the thrombus site and peaked at 4 h, whereas there was no significant change in the control mice, and the competitive inhibition of the RGD antagonist suppressed the enhancement of the NIR-II fluorescence signal. Comparison between fresh and old thrombi confirmed that TTQ-PEG-c(RGD) could be used to distinguish a fresh thrombus from an old thrombus. TTQ-PEG-c(RGD) can specifically target thrombosis in vitro and in vivo, providing a potential tool for noninvasive diagnosis of early thrombi.