A fluorescent switchable AIE probe for selective imaging of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 in vitro and in vivo and its application in screening DPP-4 inhibitors.

A novel fluorescent probe for in vitro and in vivo imaging of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) was designed and synthesized. This probe is successfully utilized to screen DPP-4 inhibitors in living 3T3-L1 cells and zebrafish, which provides a novel approach for the discovery of anti-diabetes drugs.