Quinoline Fluorescent Probes for Zinc - from Diagnostic to Therapeutic Molecules in Treating Neurodegenerative Diseases.

BACKGROUND Fluorescent compounds had gained strong attention due to their wide and appealing applications. Microscopic techniques and visualization are good examples among others. Introduction of fluorescent dyes into microbiology opens the possibility to observe tissues, organisms or organelle with exceptional sensitivity and resolution. Probes for detection of biologically relevant metals as zinc, iron or copper seems to be particularly important for drug design and pharmaceutical sciences. OBJECTIVE Quinoline derivatives are well known for their good metal affinity and wide spectrum of biological activity. In this regard, molecular sensors built on this scaffold may be useful not only as analytical but also as therapeutic agents. METHODS In the present review, application of quinoline moiety in designing of novel fluorescent probes for zinc is presented and discussed. RESULTS Zinc cations are relevant for vast majority of processes and recently attract a great deal of attention for their role in neurodegenerative diseases. Compounds interacting with Zn2+ may be used for early diagnosis of such disorders, for example the Alzheimer disease. CONCLUSION Quinoline-based zinc probes may exert some beneficial role in organism acting as theranostic agents. First preliminary drugs for Alzheimer therapy that are based on quinoline moiety are good example of this trend.