Development of near-infrared fluorophores for improved nerve-sparing surgical procedures

Fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS) has the potential to significantly enhance patient outcomes by enabling precise real-time visualization of vital nerve structures during surgical procedures. However, a clinically approved nerve-specific contrast agent does not exist. To address this need, we adopted a medicinal chemistry approach to design and develop novel near-infrared (NIR) nerve-binding small molecule fluorophore libraries. Our first-in-class NIR nerve-binding small molecule fluorophores represent a significant advancement in the field. By enabling precise nerve visualization in real-time during surgery, these contrast agents have the potential to revolutionize nerve-sparing procedures and ultimately improve patient outcomes.