molecules-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Fluorescence Probes as Disease Molecular Diagnosis

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinal Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024 | Viewed by 7458

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry and Biology, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
Interests: nucleic acid analysis; single-cell analysis; RNA imaging; fluorescence imaging; single-molecule imaging

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry and Biology, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
Interests: fluorescence imaging; small-molecule fluorescent probe; nanoprobe; accurate diagnosis; organic synthesis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the progress of human genome research, the understanding of diseases’ occurrence and development has also deepened, from their morphological appearance to the molecular level. The revelation of molecular characteristics not only helps to improve the accuracy of diagnosis but, more importantly, information on the molecular markers related to disease prognosis helps doctors to take timely and effective clinical measures. Molecular diagnosis provides a powerful tool for the accurate diagnosis and treatment of clinical diseases, which can be used to evaluate patient risk, provide early diagnosis, monitoring and early warning, improve the therapeutic effect, and slow down and even prevent the occurrence of diseases.

Molecular targeted fluorescent probes can be used for the detection of disease biomarkers and provide reliable tools for the molecular diagnosis of diseases due to their high sensitivity, simple operation, low detection limit, fast response, excellent spatial and temporal resolution and non-destructive in situ imaging. A wide range of fluorescence probe-based techniques have been developed for the molecule diagnosis of biomarkers such as RNA, DNA, mutations, including near-infrared fluorescence probes, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) probes, nucleic acid amplification technology, multi-target joint detection, cell/pathological tissue imaging, in vivo imaging etc. These technologies assist in precise diagnosis and deepen our understanding of disease mechanisms.

This Special Issue aims to collect basic and applied research focusing on fluorescence probes for molecular diagnosis using nucleic acid technology, nanotechnology, organic synthesis, click chemistry, bioconjugate chemistry or other fundamental approaches. We welcome the submission of both original research articles and review articles on the provision of novel tools for fluorescent molecular diagnosis.

Dr. Xiaojun Ren
Prof. Dr. Dongdong Su
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • fluorescence probes
  • biomarker
  • fluorescence imaging
  • molecular diagnosis
  • nucleic acid amplification
  • prognosis
  • nanotechnology

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

13 pages, 2992 KiB  
Article
A Small-Molecule Fluorescent Probe for the Detection of Mitochondrial Peroxynitrite
by Han Dong, Meng-Yu Tang, Shili Shen, Xiao-Qun Cao and Xiao-Fan Zhang
Molecules 2023, 28(24), 7976; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28247976 - 6 Dec 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1638
Abstract
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are pivotal signaling molecules that control a variety of physiological functions. As a member of the ROS family, peroxynitrite (ONOO) possesses strong oxidation and nitrification abilities. Abnormally elevated levels of ONOO can lead to cellular oxidative [...] Read more.
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are pivotal signaling molecules that control a variety of physiological functions. As a member of the ROS family, peroxynitrite (ONOO) possesses strong oxidation and nitrification abilities. Abnormally elevated levels of ONOO can lead to cellular oxidative stress, which may cause several diseases. In this work, based on the rhodamine fluorophore, we designed and synthesized a novel small-molecule fluorescent probe (DH-1) for ONOO. Upon reaction with ONOO, DH-1 exhibited a significant fluorescence signal enhancement (approximately 34-fold). Moreover, DH-1 showed an excellent mitochondria-targeting capability. Confocal fluorescence imaging validated its ability to detect ONOO changes in HeLa and RAW264.7 cells. Notably, we observed the ONOO generation during the ferroptosis process by taking advantage of the probe. DH-1 displayed good biocompatibility, facile synthesis, and high selectivity, and may have potential applications in the study of ONOO-associated diseases in biosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fluorescence Probes as Disease Molecular Diagnosis)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

18 pages, 8176 KiB  
Article
A pH-Sensitive Fluorescent Chemosensor Turn-On Based in a Salen Iron (III) Complex: Synthesis, Photophysical Properties, and Live-Cell Imaging Application
by Nicole Nilo, Mauricio Reyna-Jeldes, Alejandra A. Covarrubias, Claudio Coddou, Vania Artigas, Mauricio Fuentealba, Luis F. Aguilar, Marianela Saldías and Marco Mellado
Molecules 2023, 28(21), 7237; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28217237 - 24 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2166
Abstract
pH regulation is essential to allow normal cell function, and their imbalance is associated with different pathologic situations, including cancer. In this study, we present the synthesis of 2-(((2-aminoethyl)imino)methyl)phenol (HL1) and the iron (III) complex (Fe(L1)2Br, (C1)), confirmed by [...] Read more.
pH regulation is essential to allow normal cell function, and their imbalance is associated with different pathologic situations, including cancer. In this study, we present the synthesis of 2-(((2-aminoethyl)imino)methyl)phenol (HL1) and the iron (III) complex (Fe(L1)2Br, (C1)), confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. The absorption and emission properties of complex C1 were assessed in the presence and absence of different physiologically relevant analytes, finding a fluorescent turn-on when OH was added. So, we determined the limit of detection (LOD = 3.97 × 10−9 M), stoichiometry (1:1), and association constant (Kas = 5.86 × 103 M−1). Using DFT calculations, we proposed a spontaneous decomposition mechanism for C1. After characterization, complex C1 was evaluated as an intracellular pH chemosensor on the human primary gastric adenocarcinoma (AGS) and non-tumoral gastric epithelia (GES-1) cell lines, finding fluorescent signal activation in the latter when compared to AGS cells due to the lower intracellular pH of AGS cells caused by the increased metabolic rate. However, when complex C1 was used on metastatic cancer cell lines (MKN-45 and MKN-74), a fluorescent turn-on was observed in both cell lines because the intracellular lactate amount increased. Our results could provide insights about the application of complex C1 as a metabolic probe to be used in cancer cell imaging. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fluorescence Probes as Disease Molecular Diagnosis)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

15 pages, 6135 KiB  
Article
A Chitosan-Based Fluorescent Probe Combined with Smartphone Technology for the Detection of Hypochlorite in Pure Water
by Xushuo Yuan, Wenli Zhang, Li Liu, Yanfei Lin, Linkun Xie, Xijuan Chai, Kaimeng Xu, Guanben Du and Lianpeng Zhang
Molecules 2023, 28(17), 6316; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28176316 - 29 Aug 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1284
Abstract
Using chitosan as a raw material, 1,8-naphthimide as the fluorescent chromophore, and sulfur-containing compounds as the recognition groups, a novel naphthimide-functionalized chitosan probe, CS-BNS, for the detection of ClO was successfully synthesized. The modification of chitosan was verified by SEM, XRD, FTIR, [...] Read more.
Using chitosan as a raw material, 1,8-naphthimide as the fluorescent chromophore, and sulfur-containing compounds as the recognition groups, a novel naphthimide-functionalized chitosan probe, CS-BNS, for the detection of ClO was successfully synthesized. The modification of chitosan was verified by SEM, XRD, FTIR, mapping, 13C-NMR, TG and the structure of the probe molecule was characterized. The identification performance of the probes was studied using UV and fluorescence spectrophotometers. The results show that CS-BNS exhibits a specific response to ClO based on the oxidative reaction of ClO to the recognition motifs, as well as a good resistance to interference. And the probe has high sensitivity and fast response time, and can complete the detection of ClO in a pure water system within 60 s. The probe can also quantify ClO (y = 30.698x + 532.37, R2 = 0.9833) with a detection limit as low as 0.27 μM. In addition, the combination of the probe with smartphone technology enables the visualization and real-time monitoring of ClO. Moreover, an identification system for ClO was established by combining the probe with smartphone technology, which realized the visualization and real-time monitoring of ClO. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fluorescence Probes as Disease Molecular Diagnosis)
Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 3286 KiB  
Article
Combination of RCA and DNAzyme for Dual-Signal Isothermal Amplification of Exosome RNA
by Yuqing Xia, Xin Lei, Xiaochen Ma, Shizheng Wang, Zifu Yang, Yifan Wu and Xiaojun Ren
Molecules 2023, 28(14), 5528; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28145528 - 20 Jul 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1767
Abstract
The RNA contained in exosomes plays a crucial role in information transfer between cells in various life activities. The accurate detection of low-abundance exosome RNA (exRNA) is of great significance for cell function studies and the early diagnosis of diseases. However, their intrinsic [...] Read more.
The RNA contained in exosomes plays a crucial role in information transfer between cells in various life activities. The accurate detection of low-abundance exosome RNA (exRNA) is of great significance for cell function studies and the early diagnosis of diseases. However, their intrinsic properties, such as their short length and high sequence homology, represent great challenges for exRNA detection. In this paper, we developed a dual-signal isothermal amplification method based on rolling circle amplification (RCA) coupled with DNAzyme (RCA–DNAzyme). The sensitive detection of low-abundance exRNA, the specific recognition of their targets and the amplification of the detection signal were studied and explored. By designing padlock probes to specifically bind to the target exRNA, while relying on the ligation reaction to enhance recognition, the precise targeting of exosome RNA was realized. The combination of RCA and DNAzyme could achieve a twice-as-large isothermal amplification of the signal compared to RCA alone. This RCA–DNAzyme assay could sensitively detect a target exRNA at a concentration as low as 527 fM and could effectively distinguish the target from other miRNA sequences. In addition, this technology was successfully proven to be effective for the quantitative detection of miR-21 by spike recovery, providing a new research approach for the accurate detection of low-abundance exRNA and the exploration of unknown exRNA functions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fluorescence Probes as Disease Molecular Diagnosis)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop