•A series of NIR heptamethine cyanines containing esterified and acidified N-alkyl chains were synthesized in good yield.•The dyes have optical properties comparable to those of ICG.•Dyes with a 6 carbon N-indolenine substituent were the most selective for accumulation in pancreatic cancer cell line S2-013.•MHI-148 could make an excellent probe to conjugate with anti-cancer drugs for increased effectiveness.Cancer theranosis has materialized as a significant alternative to the separate diagnosis and treatment of cancer optimizing efficacy. Based on our previous work, it was determined that esterified heptamethine cyanine dyes were selectively cytotoxic to cancer cells. In order to determine the optimal N-alkyl chain length, a series of nine near-infrared fluorescent heptamethine cyanine dyes with monoester, diester, and diacid functional groups and differing chain lengths of three, six and ten carbons have been synthesized, isolated, and purified. They were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and mass spectrometry and their optical properties were measured. It was found that dyes with a 6 carbon N-indolenine substituent were the most selective for cancer theranosis in pancreatic cancer cell line S2-013.

•A series of monomethine cyanines were synthesized in good yield with red-shifted absorbance properties.•Computational methods were shown to be useful as a predictive tool for determining their optical properties.•The dyes displayed “turn-on” fluorescence when bound to ct-DNA.•One of these dyes, OX, displayed a 700-fold increase in fluorescence when bound to 20 μM ct-DNA.Monomethine cyanines have been extensively studied for their use as probes for nucleic acids among other biological systems. Four monomethine cyanine dyes were synthesized with various heterocyclic moieties including quinoline, benzoxazole, benzothiazole, and 3,3-dimethylindolenine adjoining benz[c,d]indol-1-ium, which was found to directly influence their optical and energy profiles. The dyes were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR and HRMS. In this study the twisted conformation unique to monomethine cyanines was exploited in DNA binding studies where the benzoxazole containing sensor displayed up to 700-fold increase in fluorescence when bound to the DNA compared to the unbound form.

Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence light has been widely utilized in clinical imaging by providing surgeons highly specific images of target tissue. The “NIR window” from 650 to 900 nm is especially useful due to several special features such as minimal autofluorescence and absorption of biomolecules in tissue, as well as low light scattering. Compared with visible wavelengths, NIR fluorescence light is invisible, thus allowing highly sensitivity real-time image guidance in human surgery without changing the surgical field. The benefit of using NIR fluorescence light as a clinical imaging technology can be attributed to its molecular fluorescence as an exogenous contrast agent. Indeed, whole body preoperative imaging of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) remains important in diagnostic utility, but they lack the efficacy of innocuous and targeted NIR fluorophores to simultaneously facilitate the real-time delineation of diseased tissue while preserving vital tissues.Admittedly, NIR imaging technology has been slow to enter clinical use mostly due to the late-coming development of truly breakthrough contrast agents for use with current imaging systems. Therefore, clearly defining the physical margins of tumorous tissue remains of paramount importance in bioimaging and targeted therapy. An equally noteworthy yet less researched goal is the ability to outline healthy vital tissues that should be carefully navigated without transection during the intraoperative surgery. Both of these paths require optimizing a gauntlet of design considerations to obtain not only an effective imaging agent in the NIR window but also high molecular brightness, water solubility, biocompatibility, and tissue-specific targetability. The imaging community recognizes three strategic approaches which include (1) passive targeting via the EPR effect, (2) active targeting using the innate overall biodistribution of known molecules, and (3) activatable targeting through an internal stimulus, which turns on fluorescence from an off state. Recent advances in nanomedicine and bioimaging offer much needed promise toward fulfilling these stringent requirements as we develop a successful catalog of targeted contrast agents for illuminating both tumors and vital tissues in the same surgical space by employing spectrally distinct fluorophores in real time. These tissue-specific contrast agents can be versatile arsenals to physicians for real-time intraoperative navigation as well as image-guided targeted therapy. There is a versatile library of tissue-specific fluorophores available in the literature, with many discussed herein, which offers clinicians an array of possibilities that will undoubtedly improve intraoperative success and long-term postoperation prognosis.

The adrenal glands (AGs) are relatively small yet require definitive identification during their resection, or more commonly their avoidance. To enable image-guided surgery involving the AGs, we have developed novel near-infrared (NIR) fluorophores that target the AGs after a single intravenous injection, which provided dual-NIR image-guided resection or avoidance of the AGs during both open and minimally-invasive surgery.

Our initial efforts to prepare tissue-specific near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent compounds generated successful correlation between physicochemical properties and global uptake in major organs after systemic circulation and biodistribution. Herein, we focus on the effects on biodistribution based on modulating electronic influencing moieties from donating to withdrawing moieties at both the heterocyclic site and through meso-substitution of pentamethine cyanine fluorophores. These selected modifications harnessed innate biodistribution pathways through the structure-inherent targeting, resulting in effective imaging of the adrenal glands, pituitary gland, lymph nodes, pancreas, and thyroid and salivary glands. These native-tissue contrast agents will arm surgeons with a powerful and versatile arsenal for intraoperative NIR imaging in real time.

The purpose of this study was to develop a family of 700-nm zwitterionic pentamethine indocyanine near-infrared fluorophores that would permit dual-channel image-guided surgery.Three complementary synthetic schemes were used to produce novel zwitterionic chemical structures. Physicochemical, optical, biodistribution, and clearance properties were compared to Cy5.5, a conventional pentamethine indocyanine now used for biomedical imaging.ZW700-1a, ZW700-1b, and ZW700-1c were synthesized, purified, and analyzed extensively in vitro and in vivo. All molecules had extinction coefficients ≥199,000 M−1 cm−1, emission ≥660 nm, and stability ≥99 % after 24 h in warm serum. In mice, rats, and pigs, ≥80 % of the injected dose was completely eliminated from the body via renal clearance within 4 h. Either alone or conjugated to a tumor targeting ligand, ZW700-1a permitted dual-channel, high SBR, and simultaneous imaging with 800-nm NIR fluorophores using the FLARE® imaging system.Novel 700-nm zwitterionic NIR fluorophores enable dual-NIR image-guided surgery.

The success of near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence to be employed for intraoperative imaging relies on the ability to develop a highly stable, NIR fluorescent, nontoxic, biocompatible, and highly excreted compound that retains a reactive functionality for conjugation to a cancer-recognizing peptide. Herein, systematic modifications to previously detailed fluorophore ZW800-1 are explored. Specific modifications, including the isosteric replacement of the O atom of ZW800-1, include nucleophilic amine and sulfur species attached to the heptamethine core. These novel compounds have shown similar satisfactory results in biodistribution and clearance while also expressing increased stability in serum. Most importantly, all of the synthesized and evaluated compounds display a reactive functionality (either a free amino group or carboxylic acid moiety) for further bioconjugation. The results obtained from the newly prepared derivatives demonstrate that the central substitution with the studied linking agents retains the ultralow background in vivo performance of the fluorophores regardless of the total net charge.

Protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1) is involved in many biological activities, such as gene transcription, signal transduction, and RNA processing. Overexpression of PRMT1 is related to cardiovascular diseases, kidney diseases, and cancers; therefore, selective PRMT1 inhibitors serve as chemical probes to investigate the biological function of PRMT1 and drug candidates for disease treatment. Our previous work found trimethine cyanine compounds that effectively inhibit PRMT1 activity. In our present study, we systematically investigated the structure–activity relationship of cyanine structures. A pentamethine compound, E-84 (compound 50), showed inhibition on PRMT1 at the micromolar level and 6- to 25-fold selectivity over CARM1, PRMT5, and PRMT8. The cellular activity suggests that compound 50 permeated the cellular membrane, inhibited cellular PRMT1 activity, and blocked leukemia cell proliferation. Additionally, our molecular docking study suggested compound 50 might act by occupying the cofactor binding site, which provided a roadmap to guide further optimization of this lead compound.

•The synthesis of pentamethine cyanines was developed using eco-friendly methods.•Dipole moment calculations helped determine optimum microwave reaction temperature.•Three compounds feature red-shifted optical properties arising from a methylene dioxy group.•HOMO-LUMO energy gaps agree with the observed wavelengths.A time-efficient and eco-conscious microwave methodology was developed and applied to synthesize a systematic library of pentamethine cyanine dyes and their corresponding precursors. The synthesis outlined herein drastically reduced the reaction pathway for pentamethine carbocyanine dye syntheses from days to min, as well as producing increased yields (89–98%) to the conventional heating method (18–64%). Twelve examples of pentamethine cyanine dyes were synthesized by means of microwave-assisted organic synthesis which provided excellent yield in expedited reaction time and were obtained using facile isolation methods. Furthermore, three cyanines were prepared with a novel methylene dioxy heterocyclic structure which imparted an approximately 40 nm bathochromic shift compared to unsubstituted counterparts; these results were shown to be in agreement with DFT calculations and HOMO-LUMO energy differences.

Laboratory-based courses require students to compose reports based on the performed experiments to assess their overall understanding of the presented material; unfortunately, the sterile and formulated nature of the laboratory report disinterests most students. As a result, the outcome is a lower-quality product that does not reveal full understanding of the material. We have found that by allowing students to be more creative while preparing the introduction of their research reports, a greater enthusiasm for the organic chemistry course is stimulated because students are able to relate to the seemingly irrelevant reactants and mechanisms; this is often reflected in their laboratory reports, which are highly creative while maintaining crucial scientific integrity in the remainder of the report discussing experimental protocol, mechanisms, and all corresponding data.

•Synthetic modifications to the hydroxychavicol core structure were performed and yielded 15 novel compounds.•The antiproliferative effects were observed using MTT assay screening against HeLa and PC-3 cells.•Silica gel catalyzed acyl transfer was observed, studied and utilized for the preparation of an active compound.•SAR insights were gained for the preparation of additional compounds utilizing the hydroxychavicol scaffold.We have recently demonstrated that hydroxychavicol is a major constituent and the most active biophenolic of Piper betel leaves with significant antiproliferative activity in the micro molar range. Herein we present the design, synthesis and evaluation of fifteen novel hydroxychavicol analogs with varying antiproliferative activities in cancer cell lines from two representative tissue types, namely, the prostate and cervix that show very encouraging results compared to the parent compounds. Our long range goal is to develop a structure–activity guided relationship to gain mechanistic insights into novel molecular targets of this class of bioactive molecules for rational drug development. Cytotoxicity-guided experimentation on these novel analogs yielded the following structural factors as the key activity regulators: 1) unlike the hydroxyl substituent at position-4, the position-3 hydroxyl is vital for enhanced activity 2) acetoxyl groups are dispensable for activity as corroborated earlier by others 3) allylic double bonds at 2′C–3′C serve to positively influence antiproliferative activity 4) long saturated side chains at 1′-position negatively regulate antiproliferative activity and 5) maneuvering position-4 with a benzyl group positively impacted the biological activity profile. Most amphiphilic compounds showed moderate to good therapeutic potential as expected on the basis of medicinal chemistry principles. Intriguingly, the most active compound with ten-fold higher activity than the parent molecule was realized by sheer serendipity to employ a silica gel based rearrangement that was further explored using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. This is the first report to describe strategies for optimal synthesis of a novel series of 15 analogs based upon hydroxychavicol, a simple phytochemical of immense anticancer potential.

In this study, a series of new, highly sensitive BF2-chelated tetraarylazadipyrromethane dyes are synthesized and analyzed to be suitable as on/off photo-induced electron transfer modulated fluorescent sensors for determination of intracellular pH. The ethanolic solutions of the new indicators feature absorption maxima in the range of 696–700 nm and a fluorescence emission maximum at 720 nm. Molar absorptivity and fluorescence quantum yield data were determined for the studied set of aza-BODIPY indicators. These indicators have high molar absorption coefficients of ∼80000 M−1 cm−1 and quantum yields (up to 18%). Corresponding pKa values of indicators are determined from absorbance and fluorescence measurements and range from 9.1 to 10.8, depending on the selective positioning of electron-donating functionalities. The excellent photostability of the aza-BODIPY indicators makes them particularly suitable for long duration measurements. The in vitro cellular staining of living tissues in PC3 cells based on the isosbestic point at pH 7.8 and pH 9.3 has been employed which shows an increase in fluorescence intensity at 800 nm with increase in pH for certain compounds and fluorescence intensity decreases at 700 nm. Therefore, the new indicators are suitable for exploitation and adaptation in a diverse range of analytical applications.

•A series of 16 novel unsymmetrical trimethine carbocyanine dyes was synthesized.•Absorption, fluorescence, stokes shift, and quantum yield were measured.•Optical experimental values were compared to their theoretical TD-DFT evaluations.•Unsymmetrical dyes were shown to aggregate less than similar symmetrical dyes.•The dyes were investigated to determine if they met Lipinski Rules.Carbocyanine dyes are a class of organic compounds that contain two heterocycles that act as electron donors and acceptors connected by a conjugated methine bridge. Herein the synthesis of a series of 16 novel unsymmetrical trimethine cyanine dyes is reported. Their structures were characterized by various spectroscopic techniques, and their optical properties were measured. Absorption maxima of the dyes were calculated using the time-dependent density-functional theory method and the computational absorption maxima are consistent with the experimental data. The addition of electron withdrawing substituents such as halogens on the heterocycle gave more favorable optical properties such as higher quantum yield and molar absorptivity. The aggregation of these cyanine dyes was studied and compared to a similar series of symmetric cyanine dyes. It was determined that the heterocycle has more effect on aggregation than the side chain and a dye with two different heterocycles will aggregate less than a dye with the same heterocycle. The dyes were also investigated for Lipinski Rule violations as their use is becoming more prevalent for in vivo applications.

Functional near-infrared (NIR) fluorophores have played a major role in the recent advances in bioimaging. However, the optical and physicochemical stabilities of NIR fluorophores in the biological and physiological environment are still a challenge. Especially, the ether linkage on the meso carbon of heptamethine core is fragile when exposed to serum proteins or other amine-rich biomolecules. To solve such a structural limitation, a rigid carbon–carbon bond was installed onto the framework of ether-linked NIR fluorophores through Suzuki coupling. The robust fluorophores replaced as ZW800-1C and ZW800-3C displayed enhanced optical and chemical stability in various solvents and a 100% warm serum environment (>99%, 24 h). The biodistribution and clearance of C–C coupled ZW800 compounds were almost identical to the previously developed oxygen-substituted ZW800 compounds. When conjugated with a small molecule ligand, ZW800-1C maintained the identical stable form in warm serum (>98%, 24 h), while ZW800-1A hydrolyzed quickly after 4 h incubation (34%, 24 h).

•Carbocyanine dyes are an immense class of compounds with extensive applications.•Synthetic methods of unsymmetrical carbocyanine dyes.•Microwave and solid-phase conditions can be used for unsymmetrical dye synthesis.•Absorption and fluorescence wavelengths can be modified using unsymmetrical dyes.•Unsymmetrical dyes can alter polarity and solubility causing less aggregation.Carbocyanine dyes are a unique class of organic molecules with high molar extinction coefficients and characteristically long absorption bands with absorption maxima ranging from 500 to 1000 nm making them extremely useful in numerous applications ranging from photography to medicine. Using various synthetic procedures, the conjugated system of these compounds can be modified to yield specific absorption and fluorescence spectra. One way to alter these conjugated systems is to include two different heterocycles thereby producing unsymmetrical dyes. The attractiveness of unsymmetrical carbocyanines has increased significantly over the last decade. For monomethine carbocyanines, there are many methods to synthesize unsymmetrical dyes, but for tri-, penta- and heptamethines the synthesis is more complicated. The synthesis of unsymmetrical carbocyanine dyes is excellent for modifying a dyes absorption wavelength, preparing it for conjugation, or altering the dyes polarity or solubility. The few known unsymmetrical carbocyanine dyes have found use in DNA labeling, dye-sensitized solar cells, and many other applications. There is a great lack of unsymmetrical carbocyanines in the literature and no collective review of them therefore we have put together this review detailing their synthesis and applications.

Protein arginine methylation regulates multiple biological processes. Deregulation of protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT) activities has been observed in many disease phenotypes. Small molecule probes that target PRMTs with strong affinity and selectivity can be used as valuable tools to dissect biological mechanisms of arginine methylation and establish the role of PRMT proteins in a disease process. In this work, we report synthesis and evaluation of a class of carbocyanine compounds containing indolium, benz[e]indolium or benz[c,d]indolium heterocyclic moieties that bind to the predominant arginine methyltransferase PRMT1 and inhibit its methyltransferase activity at low micromolar potencies. In particular, the developed molecules have long wavelength colorimetric and fluorometric photoactivities, which can be used for optical and near-infrared fluorescence imaging in cells or biological tissues. Together, these new chemical probes have potential application in PRMT studies both as enzyme inhibitors and as fluorescent dyes for microscope imaging.Graphical abstractHighlights► Cyanine dyes with aliphatic N-indolenyl groups and heterocycles were synthesized. ► Evaluated compounds bind to PRMT1 with inhibit with low micromolar potencies. ► They have potential in cellular or biological imaging using NIR fluorescence.

Three near-infrared fluorescent heptacarbocyanine dyes have been synthesized using a facile one-pot synthetic approach. The reaction methodology afforded a mixture of three symmetric and unsymmetric heptacyanines containing various N-indolenine substituents, a dicarbocyclic acid (DA), a monoester (ME), and a diester (DE). These compounds were isolated, purified, characterized and biologically investigated for tumor cell cytotoxicity and uptake selectivity. Using cell viability and in vitro proliferation assays, we found that the esterified dyes (monoester, ME and diester, DE) were selectively cytotoxic to cancer cells and spared normal fibroblast cells. Additionally, confocal fluorescence imaging confirmed selective uptake of these dyes in cancer cells, thus suggesting tumor cell targeting.

Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent contrast agents are emerging in optical imaging as sensitive, cost-effective, and nonharmful alternatives to current agents that emit harmful ionizing radiation. Developing spectrally distinct NIR fluorophores to visualize sensitive vital tissues to selectively avoid them during surgical resection of diseased tissue is of great significance. Herein, we report the synthetic variation of pentamethine cyanine fluorophores with modifications of physicochemical properties toward prompting tissue-specific uptake into sensitive tissues (i.e., endocrine glands). Tissue-specific targeting and biodistribution studies revealed localization of contrast agents in the adrenal and pituitary glands, pancreas, and lymph nodes with dependence on molecular characteristics. Incorporation of hydrophobic heterocyclic rings, alkyl groups, and halogens allowed a fine-tuning capability to the hydrophobic character and dipole moment for observing perturbation in biological activity in response to minor structural alterations. These NIR contrast agents have potential for clinical translation for intraoperative imaging in the delineation of delicate glands.

The adrenal glands (AGs) are relatively small yet require definitive identification during their resection, or more commonly their avoidance. To enable image-guided surgery involving the AGs, we have developed novel near-infrared (NIR) fluorophores that target the AGs after a single intravenous injection, which provided dual-NIR image-guided resection or avoidance of the AGs during both open and minimally-invasive surgery.