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

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 (CyGb_F) for real-time imaging and a small molecular drug (dexamethasone sodium phosphate, Dsp) for timely treatment of ALI, in which CyGb_F 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.