An ROS/viscosity dual-activated nanoprobe with CD44-targeting ability for NIR-II imaging of early atherosclerotic plaques

We developed a NIR-II fluorescent nanoprobe, DCy-BOH@BSA-HA, for targeted identification of atherosclerotic (AS) plaques. The probe remains quiescent initially but is dually activated by the plaque microenvironment-specifically elevated ROS and viscosity-while (hyaluronic acid) HA mediates CD44 targeting. This strategy enabled precise NIR-II fluorescence imaging of aortic plaques in a murine AS model.