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AIEgens in cell-based multiplex fluorescence imaging

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Abstract

Fluorescence imaging is an important branch of bioimaging. It is non-invasive and provides superior spatial and temporal resolution during the real-time monitoring of biological samples of interest. Although the spatial resolution limit of optical microscopes is about 200 nm, due to the diffraction limit, with the application of super-resolution fluorescence microscopy technologies this limit has been pushed below 30 nm. This makes it feasible to visualize biological structures in subcellular levels and to monitor subcellular biological processes in real time. However, due to the complexity of the biological structure and components within cells, simultaneous staining and monitoring multiple intracellular components with different coloured fluorophores is often needed during multiplex imaging, to better understand biological processes. Aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgen) and AIEgen based nanoparticles (NPs) have presented many advantages in fluorescence imaging, with strong potential for biological science and nano-medicine. Herein this review, we focus on the advantages of AIEgen and AIEgen NP in cell-based fluorescence imaging, and the latest advances of AIEgens in cell-based multiplex imaging are summarized and discussed. The future perspectives are proposed.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Australia-China Science and Research Fund Joint Research Centre on Personal Health Technologies, Science and Technology Bureau of Sichuan Province (China) (19YYJC1760), Sichuan Provincial Academician (Expert) Workstation (China) (2018YSGZZ03), and Sichuan University of Science and Engineering (China) (2017RCL72).

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  1. These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Biological Engineering, Sichuan University of Science and Engineering, Yibin, 644000, China

    Yabin Zhou & Jin Hua

  2. Institute for NanoScale Science and Technology, Medical Device Research Institute, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Tonsley, South Australia, 5042, Australia

    Yabin Zhou & Youhong Tang

  3. Discipline of Medical Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, 5042, Australia

    Jin Hua

  4. Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Centre for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, Division of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China

    Ben Zhong Tang

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  1. Yabin Zhou
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Correspondence to Youhong Tang.

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Zhou, Y., Hua, J., Tang, B.Z. et al. AIEgens in cell-based multiplex fluorescence imaging. Sci. China Chem. 62, 1312–1332 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11426-019-9508-6

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