Cellular senescence is a mechanism by which a cell enters stable cell cycle arrest triggered by various types of stress such as telomere shortening, oxidative stress and DNA damage. It is implicated in a number of pathophysiological conditions including age-related diseases, degenerative disorders and cancer. Despite its importance, the current toolbox for studying or monitoring senescence in vivo is limited. Here we present a new near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe that can be activated by senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-Gal), a widely used marker for senescence, and can be immobilized in targeted cells via quinone methide chemistry to provide longer retention. Using in vitro labeling experiments and in vivo animal imaging, we demonstrated that this new self-immobilizing near-IR probe for senescence allows for deeper tissue penetration, higher imaging contrast and longer imaging time window.

Self-immobilizing near-infrared probe for in vivo imaging of senescence

ACS Fall 2021

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