The instant invention provides near-infrared fluorescent biological contrast agents and methods of using them.

A composition includes two or more near infrared absorbing compounds having an absorption maximum in a wavelength range of 650 to 1000 nm and having a solubility of 0.1 mass % or lower in water at 23° C., in which the two or more near infrared absorbing compounds include a first near infrared absorbing compound having an absorption maximum in a wavelength range of 650 to 1000 nm, and a second near infrared absorbing compound having an absorption maximum in a wavelength range of 650 to 1000 nm which is shorter than the absorption maximum of the first near infrared absorbing compound, and a difference between the absorption maximum of the first near infrared absorbing compound and the absorption maximum of the second near infrared absorbing compound is 1 to 150 nm.

Near infrared and shortwave infrared dyes can have polymethine structures.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cancer cell inhibitory drug, particularly a cancer stem-cell inhibitory drug, or a cancer stem-cell detection probe. The present invention provides a cancer cell inhibitory drug comprising at least one compound represented by general formula (1) as an active ingredient

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The present invention describes methods of identifying, detecting, imaging, isolating and locating cancer cells in a subject. The method involves the use of near-infrared (NIR) organic carbocyanine dyes, particularly, near infrared heptamethine cyanine dyes and the detection of the fluorescence of these NIR dyes. The uptake of these dyes by cancer cells and not by normal cells, as well as their high intensity, among other things, allow for the detection of cancerous cells in a subject and facilitate their subsequent isolation. Further, detection of many tumor types and tumor cell populations under cell culture and in vivo conditions are described.

Disclosed are a cyanine dye compound and a preparation method therefor, and a dual-function agent for photodynamic therapy and a preparation method therefor. The provided cyanine dye compound is connected to multiple markers, which improves the accuracy of combination of dye and tumor cells, effectively reduces the background value, and avoids excessive residues in the liver. The provided cyanine dye compound is conjugated with the photosensitizer at 2′″ position, so that tumor highly absorbs the conjugates.

The present invention relates to a compound represented by general formula (I) (in the formula (I), X represents a methyl group or a halogen atom; R.sup.1 to R.sup.14 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a cyano group, an optionally substituted alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, or an optionally substituted aromatic hydrocarbon group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms; B.sup.m− represents a polyoxometalate anion; m represents an integer of 1 to 20; n represents an integer of 1 to 20, provided that n is determined such that the charge of the whole formula (I) becomes zero).

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The present disclosure provides SWIR-active small molecule polymethine dyes with improved properties for use in optical imaging, photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, and SWIR-promoted drug delivery.

The instant invention provides near-infrared fluorescent biological contrast agents and methods of using them.

A composition includes two or more near infrared absorbing compounds having an absorption maximum in a wavelength range of 650 to 1000 nm and having a solubility of 0.1 mass % or lower in water at 23° C., in which the two or more near infrared absorbing compounds include a first near infrared absorbing compound having an absorption maximum in a wavelength range of 650 to 1000 nm, and a second near infrared absorbing compound having an absorption maximum in a wavelength range of 650 to 1000 nm which is shorter than the absorption maximum of the first near infrared absorbing compound, and a difference between the absorption maximum of the first near infrared absorbing compound and the absorption maximum of the second near infrared absorbing compound is 1 to 150 nm.