LAUSR

Spleen is a large immune organ in body. Splenic operations such as splenectomy and intrasplenic injection are of paramount importance for immunological research and splenic diseases. Fluorescence imaging can vastly simplify these operations, but a specific spleen-targeting probe is still unavailable. Here, we report the first specific spleen-accumulated fluorescent probe, VIX-S, which fluoresces at 1064 nm and is highly stable. Systematic studies revealed the superior targeting and imaging performance of VIX-S for the spleen in both nude and haired mice. In vivo imaging indicates that the probe can image the morphology of spleen with a signal-background ratio of at least 2-fold higher than that of the liver. Moreover, the application of VIX-S in imaging-guided splenic operation, including splenic injury and intrasplenic injection, is demonstrated, which may provide a practice tool for spleen research in the animal model. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.