Clinically Compatible Fluorescence Microscopy Based on Moxifloxacin Antibiotic

Abstract

High-resolution fluorescence tissue imaging with the application of moxifloxacin as a cell-labelling agent is described. Moxifloxacin is an antibiotic used in the clinic to both treat and prevent bacterial infections, and it has both good pharmacokinetic properties for tissue penetration and intrinsic fluorescence under ultraviolet (UV) excitation. Alternative usage of moxifloxacin as the cell-labelling agent was discovered and its imaging applications have been explored. With moxifloxacin administration, fluorescence microscopy could visualize cells within tissues either in enhanced contrasts or at high imaging speeds. Both linear and nonlinear fluorescence microscopies could be used for moxifloxacin-based tissue imaging. High-contrast cellular imaging was demonstrated in various tissues including the cornea, skin, small and large intestines, and brain. Moxifloxacin-based fluorescence microscopy can be clinically compatible by using the FDA-approved moxifloxacin and it could be used for both diagnosis and surgery guidance. Moxifloxacin-based fluorescence microscopy has been tested in several preclinical studies, including the detection of infecting pathogens in fungal keratitis, and the delineation of tumor margin in brain tumor and skin cancer.