Brain Imaging of Amyloid-β Aggregates in Alzheimer's Disease with a Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probe.

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