A Lysosome-Targeted Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probe with Excellent Water Solubility for Surgery Navigation in Breast Cancer

To get a tumor-targeted contrast agent for imaging guide resection of tumors, we designed a novel fluorescent probe based on the heptamethine cyanine core, Cy7-MO, which has excellent water solubility and near-infrared photophysical and lysosomal targeting properties. The chemical structure of Cy7-MO was characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry. The toxicity of Cy7-MO was evaluated by cell counting kit-8. Then, a cellular-level study was conducted to evaluate the suborganelle localization in 4T1-Luc1 cells, and it was also used for surgical navigation in orthotopic breast tumor resection in vivo. The results showed that Cy7-MO was well targeted to lysosomes. Importantly, the Cy7-MO probe was found to be well tolerable and exhibited excellent biocompatibility. Moreover, the orthotopic breast tumor margin was clearly visualized through fluorescence guiding of Cy7-MO. Finally, the correct tumor tissues were completely removed, and a negative margin was obtained successfully, which demonstrated an enhanced precision of surgery.