PET image-guided kidney injury theranostics enabled by a bipyramidal DNA framework

Area of Science:

• Nanomedicine
• Pharmacokinetics
• Molecular Imaging
• Renal Disease Research

Background:

• Understanding nanomaterial pharmacokinetics is crucial for developing effective disease treatments.
• Bipyramidal DNA frameworks (BDFs) show promise in molecular imaging and therapy.
• A reference pharmacokinetic model for BDFs is needed for disease-related studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To construct a Gallium-68 labeled BDF (⁶⁸Ga-BDF) and establish its pharmacokinetic model in healthy mice.
• To investigate the impact of ureteral obstruction on BDF metabolism.
• To utilize the pharmacokinetic model for detecting kidney injury indicators and assess BDF's therapeutic potential in acute kidney injury (AKI).

Main Methods:

• Construction of a ⁶⁸Ga-BDF.
• Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging to establish the pharmacokinetic model in healthy mice.
• Analysis of BDF behavior in unilateral ureteral obstruction and AKI mouse models.

Main Results:

• The ⁶⁸Ga-BDF is primarily eliminated via the urinary system.
• Ureteral obstruction significantly alters urinary system metabolism.
• Distinct imaging indicators for unilateral ureteral obstruction and AKI were observed using the established model.
• BDF demonstrated therapeutic effects in an AKI mouse model.

Conclusions:

• The established pharmacokinetic model and renal excretion characteristics of ⁶⁸Ga-BDF provide valuable insights for kidney disease research.
• BDFs show potential as diagnostic imaging agents and therapeutic agents for kidney diseases, particularly AKI.
• This study lays the groundwork for future investigations into DNA nanostructures for diagnosing and treating renal pathologies.