A facile theragnostic nano-platform for the effective treatment and real-time imaging of acute liver injury.

Abstract

Acute liver injury (ALI), induced by an imbalance of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory processes, remains a major concern for disease detection and drug screening. However, current clinical blood tests for ALI diagnostics are limited by delayed estimation, invasive and non-comprehensive visualization and false results from non-specific biomarkers. Moreover, it is difficult to give timely therapy to inhibit its progression and adjust treatment regimens in time. Herein, this study developed a facile theragnostic nano-platform (BLD NP) for effective treatment and real-time imaging of acute liver injury (ALI). BLD NPs comprise peptide-caged NIR probes (CyGbF) for real-time imaging and a small molecular drug (dexamethasone sodium phosphate, Dsp) for timely treatment of ALI, in which CyGbF was conjugated and Dsp was electrostatically complexed with fluorinated polyethylene (LPOF), respectively. After systemic administration, BLD NPs passively target liver tissue and react with ALI-associated protease to in situ activate the NIR signaling moiety for non-invasive longitudinal imaging of ALI progression, while Dsp is released timely for ALI treatments, serving as a theragnostic platform and providing comprehensive estimations for ALI, comparable to standard methods including blood tests and flow cytometric analysis. Therefore, BLD NPs hold great promise for early real-time imaging, timely therapeutic treatment and prediction of the progression of ALI.