I-SEE-U

The combination of optical imaging techniques with surgery is a promising approach because it allows for guiding the surgeon's actions. Fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS) offers a more precise view of the target. This approach involves the development of specific tools. In this context, we propose to develop fluorogenic probes for both one-photon absorption (1PA) and two-photon absorption (2PA). By using probes that emit in the near-infrared (NIR) and/or are excitable by two photons, we can create imaging tools for in vivo use, overcoming issues of autofluorescence and photodamage. The use of activatable 2PA probes is at the heart of the I-SEE-U project, offering innovative tools that meet the demands of increasingly precise FGS. These probes will be designed to respond to a biological stimulus indicative of pathology, such as overexpression of enzymes. The developed probes will be structurally modified to incorporate systems that provide an OFF-ON character to these probes and/or modify their physicochemical properties. The I-SEE-U project will consist of four interconnected stages. First, a significant part of this project will be devoted to an organic synthesis methodology to create a library of molecules based on a promising rigidification strategy (WP1), which will be the subject of a systematic photophysical study (WP2) allowing us to optimize the structure/photophysical properties relationship. Finally, once the most promising candidates are selected, they will undergo extensive in vitro and in vivo studies. Through these four stages, the aim of the I-SEE-U project is to develop high-performance fluorogenic probes in line with current (1PA) and future (2PA) technologies used in FGS.