Abstract 138: NIR fluorescent probes for senescence imaging via tunable in situ labeling

Abstract

Abstract Cellular senescence is a mechanism by which a cell enters stable cell cycle arrest triggered by various types of stress such as telomere shortening, oxidative stress and DNA damage. It is implicated in a number of pathophysiological conditions including age-related diseases, degenerative disorders and cancer. Despite its importance, the current toolbox for studying or monitoring senescence in vivo is limited. We have developed a series of novel near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probes that can be activated by senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-Gal) and self-immobilize onto intracellular proteins via in situ labeling. We compared the labeling efficiency of these probes in vitro and in cells and the results shows that by modulating the leaving group, we can improve the labeling efficiency of the probes and enhance their retention at the site of activation. These probes can be used for imaging of senescence developed in live cells, as well as long-term tracking of senescent cells in various animal models. Citation Format: Zixin Chen, Yuzhao Zhang, Seyedehalaleh Anvar, Chang-hung Wu, Jun Liu, Joyce Z. Jiang, Lina Cui. NIR fluorescent probes for senescence imaging via tunable in situ labeling [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 138.