Evaluation of fluorescence lifetime-enhanced tumor imaging using an anti-CEA targeted fluorescent probe

Fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS) has emerged as a powerful intraoperative tool to visualize tumors in real time, but its precision is often constrained by a fundamental limitation. Conventional FGS relies on fluorescence intensity, a relative measure that cannot distinguish specific probe binding in cancer from non-specific accumulation in other tissues, such as the liver or areas of inflammation. This ambiguity can compromise surgical decision-making. We investigate whether fluorescence lifetime analysis can provide a quantitative parameter that can more effectively distinguish tumor from normal tissues using an anti-CEA-IR800 fluorescent probe in a mouse model of colorectal cancer.