DMNPE-笼式荧光素是一种可光激活的探针，能轻松穿透细胞膜，在紫外光照射下会发生光化学分解，释放出荧光素分子。一旦与细胞表达的荧光素酶接触，荧光素就会发出可见（且可测量）的光。通过腹腔注射 DMNPE-笼式荧光素，利用这一技术，可在活细胞和小鼠肿瘤异种移植物中对荧光素酶活性进行成像。 DMNPE-caged Luciferin is a photoactivatable probe that can easily penetrate the cell membrane, and by exposure to UV light it undergoes a photochemical decomposition liberating a Luciferin molecule. Once exposed to Luciferase enzyme expressed by the cells, Luciferin emits visible (and measurable) light. Using this technique, imaging of luciferase activity was performed both in living cells and in mouse tumor xenograft, by intraperitoneal injection of the caged DMNPE luciferin.