AIEgens for microorganism-related visualization and therapy

Abstract

Humans and bacteria have always been closely related. However, pathogenic bacteria and drug-resistant bacteria pose a certain threat to human life and health. On the other hand, probiotics, such as intestinal flora, also affect our daily life. Understanding the microstructure of microorganisms is important for effective treatment of bacterial infections. Luminogens with aggregation-induced emission properties are now recognized as potent fluorescent agents for the diagnosis and treatment of microorganisms. In this review, we summarized the most recent developments of AIEgen-based biomaterials and discussed the advantages of AIE fluorescent probes for imaging. Their applications for rapid imaging of bacteria, differentiation of Gram- negative and positive bacteria, and specific imaging of intracellular bacteria and fungi are presented. The monitoring of bacteria-cell interaction was also introduced. Finally, the design strategy of engineered bacteria-AIEgen hybrid system and their role in anti-cancer applications was discussed.