Next generation NIR fluorophores for tumor imaging and fluorescence-guided surgery: A review

Cancer is a group of diseases responsible for the major causes of mortality and morbidity among people of all ages. Even though medical sciences have made enormous growth, complete treatment of this deadly disease is still a challenging task. Last few decades witnessed an impressive growth in the design and development of near infrared (NIR) fluorophores with and without recognition moieties for molecular recognitions, imaging and image guided surgeries. The present article reviews recently reported NIR emitting organic/inorganic fluorophores that targets and accumulates in organelle/organs specifically for molecular imaging of cancerous cells. Near infrared (NIR probe) with or without a tumor-targeting warhead have been considered and discussed for their applications in the field of cancer imaging. In addition, challenges persist in this area are also delineated in this review.