Fluorogenic bisazide cyanine probe as a highly efficient acrolein detection tool for diagnosing triple negative breast cancer

More than 60% of patients with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) are women under the age of 50. Thus, TNBC not only adversely affects young women's health but also has a socioeconomic impact. However, due to the absence of three receptors, TNBC is difficult to detect using conventional diagnostic methods. Here, we describe a fluorogenic bisazide cyanine 3 (Cy3) probe that enables the expeditious and sensitive visualization of TNBC cells via a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction with intracellular acrolein. The bisazide Cy3 probe can rapidly (5 min) detect TNBC tissues ex vivo. In addition, the probe exhibited highly cytocompatible property, demonstrating the plausible applicability for extensive therapeutic purposes. The highly sensitive and cytocompatible bisazide Cy3 probe can be employed for effective intraoperative diagnosis of TNBC in a variety of acrolein-producing cancer types.