A “dual-key-and-lock” molecular probe for accurate diagnosis of melanoma

Melanoma, notorious for its high malignant, rapid metastasis, and swiftly increasing incidence rate, emphasizes the critical need for early and accurate diagnosis. Current diagnostic methods, including single-lock fluorescent probes, often fall short in accuracy, leading to false positives. To address this, we developed a double-locked probe, DR, comprising the water-soluble dye resorufin, borate, and 3-hydroxybenzyl alcohol. DR exhibits a significant change in fluorescence signal from 'turn off' to 'turn on' (about 56-fold increase) only when sequentially activated by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and tyrosinase. Crucially, DR effectively differentiates between normal melanocytes and melanoma cells and has been successfully used in cell imaging and in melanoma models in mice. This advancement in melanoma diagnosis enhances accuracy, reduces false positives, and holds promising implications for future clinical applications.