Molecular Optical Imaging Probes as Artificial Urinary Biomarkers for Early Diagnosis

Molecular optical imaging plays a crucial role in biology and medicine; however, the strong tissue autofluorescence and shallow tissue penetration of light limit its clinical translation. In this talk, I will introduce our artificial urinary biomarker (AUB) approach to tackle these challenges to advance the clinical translation of molecular optical probes. Frist, the molecular design for high renal clearance of molecular probes is revealed, which forms the foundation for developing AUBs. Next, the AUB concept is exemplified in optical urinalysis of acute kidney injury (AKI) and SARS-CoV-2 asl well as prognosis of cancer immunotherapy. AUB probes specifically activate their NIR/chemiluminescence signals towards the enzymes associated with AKI or viruses, immune cells, followed by rapid renal clearance for urine tests. Due to the ultrahigh renal clearance efficacy and nidus-specific release of the fluorogenic fragment coupled with in-situ amplification from catalytical depolymerization, AUB probes bypass the in vivo imaging challenges, permitting optical urinalysis that outperforms typical clinical/preclinical assays. These studies provide the basis for an entirely new class of molecular optical probes with ultrahigh sensitivity and high translational potential for disease diagnosis and prognosis.