Reversible redox F magnetic resonance imaging nanoprobes for monitoring the redox state .

Redox processes are indispensable for physiology, and dysregulated redox balance is critical in various metabolic diseases. The development of imaging diagnosis tools for real-time monitoring of the redox state is of great importance yet highly challenging. Here, we designed trifluoromethyl (-CF) grafted selenide polymer nanoprobes for reversible redox sensing . Based on the reversible shift of the F-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) peak between oxidation and reduction states of the nanoprobes exposed to different redox species, the F-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signal ratio of /( + ) was successfully applied to monitor the redox state in a tumor. These nanoprobes demonstrated good biocompatibility and great potential for exploring physiological and pathological redox processes in deep tissues. We envision that this work will enable the rational design of F-MRI nanoprobes with excellent redox response for the real-time monitoring of the redox state at the lesion location.