Centimeter-Deep NIR-II Fluorescence Imaging with Nontoxic AIE Probes in Nonhuman Primates

Zonghai Sheng; Yaxi Li; Dehong Hu; Tianliang Min; Duyang Gao; Jen-Shyang Ni; Pengfei Zhang; Yuenan Wang; Xin Liu; Kai Li; Hairong Zheng; Ben Zhong Tang

doi:10.34133/2020/4074593

Centimeter-Deep NIR-II Fluorescence Imaging with Nontoxic AIE Probes in Nonhuman Primates

Research (Wash D C). 2020 Sep 26:2020:4074593. doi: 10.34133/2020/4074593. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Paul C. Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Key Laboratory for Magnetic Resonance and Multimodality Imaging of Guangdong Province, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Ultrasound Imaging and Therapy, CAS Key Laboratory of Health Informatics, Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
² Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen 518055, China.
³ Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen 518055, China.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.

Abstract

Fluorescence probes with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics are of great importance in biomedical imaging with superior spatial and temporal resolution. However, the lack of toxicity studies and deep tissue imaging in nonhuman primates hinders their clinical translation. Here, we report the blood chemistry and histological analysis in nonhuman primates treated with AIE probes over tenfold of an intravenous dose of clinically used indocyanine green (ICG) during a study period of 36 days to demonstrate AIE probes are nontoxic. Furthermore, through bright and nontoxic AIE probes and fluorescence imaging in the second window (NIR-II, 1,000-1,700 nm), we achieve an unprecedented 1.5-centimeter-deep vascular imaging in nonhuman primates, breaking the current limitation of millimeter-deep NIR-II fluorescence imaging. Our important findings, i.e., nontoxic features of AIE probes and centimeter-deep NIR-II vascular imaging in nonhuman primates, may facilitate successful translation of AIE probes in clinical trials.