Recent advances in small molecule fluorescent probes for simultaneous imaging of two bioactive molecules in live cells and in vivo

The interrelationships and synergistic regulations of bioactive molecules play pivotal roles in physiological and pathological processes involved in the initiation and development of some diseases, such as cancer and neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, the simultaneous, accurate and timely detection of two bioactive molecules is crucial to explore their roles and pathological mechanisms in related diseases. Fluorescence imaging associated with small molecular probes has been widely used in the imaging of bioactive molecules in living cells and in vivo due to its excellent performances, including high sensitivity and selectivity, noninvasive properties, real-time and high spatial temporal resolution. Single organic molecule fluorescent probes have been successively developed to simultaneously monitor two biomolecules to uncover their synergistic relationships in living systems. Hence, in this review, we focus on summarizing the design strategies, classifications, and bioimaging applications of dual-response fluorescent probes over the past decade. Furthermore, future research directions in this field are proposed.