In recent years, there has been growing interest in the near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging of tau fibrils for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In order to develop a curcumin-based NIR fluorescent probe for tau fibrils, structural modification of the curcumin scaffold was attempted by combining the following rationales: the curcumin derivative should preserve its binding affinity to tau fibrils, and, upon binding to tau fibrils, the probe should show favorable fluorescence properties. To meet these requirements, we designed a novel curcumin scaffold with various aromatic substituents. Among the series, the curcumin derivative with a (4-dimethylamino-2,6-dimethoxy)phenyl moiety showed a significant change in its fluorescence properties (22.9-fold increase in quantum yield; Kd, 0.77 μM; λem, 620 nm; Φ, 0.32) after binding to tau fibrils. In addition, fluorescence imaging of tau-green fluorescent protein-transfected SHSY-5Y cells with confirmed that detected tau fibrils in live cells.

Development of a novel, tau-selective smart near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) probe was attempted by combining the previously identified core scaffold 3,5-dimethoxy-N,N-dimethylaniline-4-yl moiety, with the characteristic donor-π-acceptor architecture of the smart NIRF Aβ probes DANIR-2c and MCAAD-3. A series of compounds (2 and 3) were prepared, which were identified as "turn-on" NIRF probes for the visual detection of tau aggregates and Aβ fibrils (λ = 650 nm, Stokes shifts = 70-110 nm). In particular, combination of the 3,5-dimethoxy-N,N-dimethylanilin-4-yl moiety and the donor part of MCAAD-3 endowed the resulting probes, 3g and 3h, with significant selectivity toward tau aggregates (selectivity for tau over Aβ = 5.7 and 3.8); they showed much higher fluorescence intensities upon binding to tau aggregates (FI = 49 and 108) than when bound to Aβ fibrils (FI = 9 and 28). Quantitative analysis of binding affinities and fluorescence properties of 3g and 3h revealed that microenvironment-sensitive molecular rotor-like behavior, rather than binding affinity to the target, is responsible for their selective turn-on fluorescence detection of tau fibrils. Selective fluorescent labeling of tau fibrils by 3g and 3h was further demonstrated by immunofluorescence staining of human Alzheimer's disease brain sections, which showed colocalization of the probes (3g and 3h) and phosphorylated tau antibody.

Tau aggregation in neuronal cells has recently received significant attention as a robust predictor of the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) because of its proven correlation with the degree of cognitive impairment in AD patients. Accordingly, noninvasive imaging of tau aggregates has been highlighted as a promising diagnostic tool for AD. We have previously identified a tau-specific "turn-on" near-infrared fluorescent (NIRF) probe (1), and, in this study, structural modification was performed to optimize its physicochemical as well as fluorescence properties. Thus, a series of fluorescent dyes (2a-2j) composed of a variously substituted difluoroboron β-diketonate and an N,N-dimethylaniline moiety linked by a length-extendable π-bridge were prepared. Among those, isobutyl-substituted difluoroboron β-ketonate with a π-conjugated 1,4-butadienyl linker (2e) showed the most promising properties as a tau-specific NIRF probe. Compared with 1, the "turn-on" fluorescence of 2e was more specific to tau fibrils, and it showed 8.8- and 6.2-times higher tau-over-Aβ and tau-over-BSA specificity, respectively. Also, the fluorescence intensity of 2e upon binding to tau fibrils was substantially higher (∼2.9 times) than that observed from 1. The mechanism for tau-specificity of 2e was investigated, which suggested that the molecular rotor-like property of 2e enables specific recognition of the microenvironment of tau aggregates to emit strong fluorescence. In transgenic cell lines stably expressing GFP-tagged tau proteins, 2e showed good colocalization with tau-GFP. Moreover, the fluorescence from 2e exhibited almost complete overlap with p-Tau antibody staining in the human AD brain tissue section. Collectively, these observations demonstrate the potential of 2e as a tau-specific fluorescent dye in both in vitro and ex vivo settings.

γ-Hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) is an endogenous short chain fatty acid that acts as a neurotransmitter and neuromodulator in the mammalian brain. It has often been illegally abused or misused due to its strong anesthetic effect, particularly in drug-facilitated crimes worldwide. However, proving its ingestion is not straightforward because of the difficulty in distinguishing between endogenous and exogenous GHB, as well as its rapid metabolism. Metabolomics and metabolism studies have recently been used to identify potential biomarkers of GHB exposure. This mini-review provides an overview of GHB-associated metabolic alterations and explores the potential of metabolites for application as biomarkers of GHB exposure. For this, we discuss the biosynthesis and metabolism of GHB, analytical issues of GHB in biological samples, alterations in metabolic pathways, and changes in the levels of GHB conjugates in biological samples from animal and human studies. Metabolic alterations in organic acids, amino acids, and polyamines in urine enable discrimination between GHB-ingested animals or humans and controls. The potential of GHB conjugates has been investigated in a variety of clinical settings. Despite the recent growth in the application of metabolomics and metabolism studies associated with GHB exposure, it remains challenging to distinguish between endogenous and exogenous GHB. This review highlights the significance of further metabolomics and metabolism studies for the discovery of practical peripheral biomarkers of GHB exposure.