Synthesis and Application of a Near-Infrared Light-Emitting Fluorescent Probe for Specific Imaging of Cancer Cells with High Sensitivity and Selectivity

Shaoguang Li,1 Zhan Lin,1 Haobo Chen,1 Qiu Luo,1 Shengnan Han,1 Kunlong Huang,1 Ruichan Chen,1 Yuying Zhan,1 Bing Chen,2 Hong Yao1– 3 1Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, FuJian, People’s Republic of China; 2Higher Educational Key Laboratory for Nano Biomedical Technology of Fujian Province, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, People’s Republic of China; 3Fujian Key Laboratory of Drug Target Discovery and Structural and Functional Research, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Shaoguang Li; Hong Yao, Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, 1 Xue Yuan Road, University Town, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350122, People’s Republic of China, Email lsg941@126.com; yauhung@126.comBackground: The preclinical diagnosis of tumors is of great significance to cancer treatment. Near-infrared fluorescence imaging technology is promising for the in-situ detection of tumors with high sensitivity.Methods: Here, a fluorescent probe was synthesized on the basis of Au nanoclusters with near-infrared light emission and applied to fluorescent cancer cell labeling. Near-infrared methionine-N-Hydroxy succinimide Au nanoclusters (Met-NHs-AuNCs) were prepared successfully by one-pot synthesis using Au nanoclusters, methionine, and N-Hydroxy succinimide as frameworks, reductants, and stabilizers, respectively. The specific fluorescence imaging of tumor cells or tissues by fluorescent probe was studied on the basis of SYBYL Surflex-DOCK simulation model of LAT1 active site of overexpressed receptor on cancer cell surface. The results showed that Met-NHs-AuNCs interacted with the surface of LAT1, and C_Score scored the conformation of the probe and LAT1 as five.Results: Characterization and in vitro experiments were conducted to explore the Met-NHs-AuNCs targeted uptake of cancer cells. The prepared near-infrared fluorescent probe (Met-NHs-A