Citation: Shunping Zang, Jia Ke, Hanbing Zheng, Qing Liu, Benhua Wang, Minhuan Lan, Xiangzhi Song. Visualization of copper metabolic fluctuations across various stages of Parkinson’s disease by a near-infrared fluorescent sensor[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(7): 111822. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111822 shu

Visualization of copper metabolic fluctuations across various stages of Parkinson’s disease by a near-infrared fluorescent sensor

Shunping Zang ^{a, 1} ,
Jia Ke ^{b, 1} ,
Hanbing Zheng ^a ,
Qing Liu ^{a, *,} ,
Benhua Wang ^{a, *,} ,
Minhuan Lan ^a ,
Xiangzhi Song ^{a, *,}

a.
College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
b.
Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 311121, China

csu-lq@csu.edu.cn

benhuawang@csu.edu.cn

xzsong@csu.edu.cn

Received Date: 17 June 2025
Revised Date: 18 August 2025
Accepted Date: 10 September 2025
Available Online: 11 September 2025

Figures(5)

The etiology and pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) are complex, and its precise pathology remains poorly defined. Emerging evidence suggest that the dysregulation of intracellular copper ion (Cu²⁺) is tightly associated with PD progression. However, the dynamic interplay between Cu²⁺ and different stages of PD progression is not fully understood yet. In this study, we developed four Cu²⁺ fluorescent sensors and evaluated their blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration efficiency. Among them, PD-Cu-3 exhibited a 62.15% BBB penetration ability and was successfully utilized for real-time monitoring of Cu²⁺ fluctuations in PD model cells and mice. We first observed an initial increase in Cu²⁺ level during the early phase PD model cells, followed by a decline in prolonged conditions due to ATP7A-mediated intracellular Cu²⁺ efflux. Furthermore, in vivo imaging results from PD model mice and brain slices revealed Cu²⁺ fluctuations across different PD stages, with an elevation in the acute stage and a subsequent reduction in the subacute stage. This study not only provided a new insight into Cu²⁺ metabolism in PD progression but also help understanding of PD pathology and searching potential therapeutic approaches.
- Parkinson's disease,
- Copper fluctuations,
- Blood-brain barrier,
- Fluorescent sensor,
- Near-infrared,
- Bioimaging
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