Development of an AIE-active fluorescent probe for the simultaneous detection of Al3+ and viscosity and imaging in Alzheimer’s disease model

Alzheimer’s disease is associated both with imbalances in Al³⁺ production and changes in viscosity in cells. Their simultaneous measurement could therefore provide valuable insights into Alzheimer’s disease pathology. Their simultaneous measurement would therefore be of great value in investigating the pathological mechanism of Alzheimer’s disease. We designed a fluorescent probe YM2T with AIE effect that is capable of selectively responding to Al³⁺ by fluorescence colormetrics and to viscosity by fluorescence “turn on” modes. Additionally, Al³⁺ and viscosity were simultaneously detected in PC12 cells using the low cytotoxic probe YM2T via blue and green fluorescence channels. More importantly, the YM2T probe was used to image mice with AD. Hence, the YM2T probe shows potential as a useful molecular instrument for studying the pathological impact of Al³⁺ and viscosity.