Dual-Targeting Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probe for Simultaneous Mitochondrial Injury Assessment and Fibrosis...

Area of Science:

• Cell Biology
• Biochemistry
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) are crucial for cellular homeostasis.
• Dysfunction in these organelles is linked to fibrosis and cancer.
• Bleomycin (BLM), an anticancer drug, causes severe pulmonary toxicity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel fluorescent probe, BDSTI, for simultaneous observation of mitochondria-ER interactions.
• To investigate the effects of BLM on cellular dynamics, including polarity and viscosity.
• To visualize BLM-induced lung injury and assess therapeutic interventions.

Main Methods:

• Development of the BDSTI fluorescent probe for mitochondria-ER colocalization.
• High-resolution imaging to observe mitochondrial morphology and dynamics.
• In vivo and ex vivo imaging of pulmonary fibrosis models in mice.
• Assessment of ER stress inhibitors using the BDSTI probe.

Main Results:

• BDSTI enables synchronous observation of mitochondria-ER interactions.
• BLM disrupts mitochondrial membrane potential, increases ROS, and causes morphological abnormalities.
• BDSTI successfully visualizes BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis in vivo and ex vivo.
• The probe facilitates evaluation of ER stress inhibitors against BLM toxicity.

Conclusions:

• BDSTI is a versatile tool for studying organelle crosstalk and cellular responses to drugs.
• This probe offers a novel approach for visualizing and potentially treating bleomycin-induced lung injury.
• BDSTI aids in evaluating therapeutic strategies for mitigating drug-induced organ damage.