<i>In</i> <i>Vivo</i> Brain Imaging of Amyloid-β Aggregates in Alzheimer’s Disease with a Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probe

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 <i>in vivo</i>. This novel fluorophore, named <b>CAQ</b>, was based on the curcumin scaffold and was designed by introducing an intramolecular rotation donor and a quinoline functional group. <b>CAQ</b> was an environment-sensitive fluorescent probe that can be used as a reliable chemical tool for NIR imaging of amyloid plaques in a live <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> model of AD and in 5× FAD transgenic mice of early amyloid deposition. Our observations indicate that <b>CAQ</b> is promising for providing comprehensive information on neurodegenerative research, thereby promoting a deeper understanding of Alzheimer's pathological processes.