Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026
Microvascular Perfusion Monitored by Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging during Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Mice
Published on: February 27, 2026
A new biomaterial and molecular imaging platform: Click-coupled dual-responsive fluorescent signaling for deciphering
Yongchuang Li1, Haiyue Liu2, Songhan Liu3
1Research Institute of Applied Chemistry, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, 030006, China.
Abstract:
As the sophisticated "purification factory", kidney performs pivotal functions from blood filtration to endocrine regulation. Consequently, renal injury will trigger "domino effect" culminating in multiple organ failure, posing unavoidable risks for patients with severe or chronic illnesses. Amidst complex etiology, ferroptosis is a key process mediated by redox dyshomeostasis, including oxidative burst and concomitant reductive depletion, while tracking isolated redox events fails to decipher dynamic pathogenesis. Therefore, simultaneously tracking fluctuations of oxidative and reductive hallmarks is essential to elucidate renal pathogenesis and enable early intervention. Herein, we engineered specific-radical imaging modules for synergistically monitoring core species associated with ferroptosis-mediated kidney injury, glutathione (GSH) and peroxynitrite (ONOO-), by incorporating hydrophilic chains via "click" assembly. This click-coupled dual-responsive fluorescent probe (CY-LS) enabled real-time, in-situ tracking of reductive GSH and oxidative ONOO- dynamics in vivo. In drug-acute and diabetic-chronic kidney injury models, CY-LS revealed that synchronous GSH depletion and ONOO- accumulation synergistically exacerbate renal injury via ferroptosis. Notably, pharmacological inhibition of ferroptosis reversed redox-dyshomeostasis signals, validating dual-channel assessment for practical therapeutic monitoring. Furthermore, the exceptional renal clearance of CY-LS enables non-invasive diagnosis via simple urinalysis. Collectively, such modular toolkit is powerful for deciphering renal pathologies, paving avenues for precision diagnosis of redox-driven disorders.
Insights
Researchers developed a new fluorescent probe to simultaneously track glutathione (GSH) and peroxynitrite (ONOO-) in kidney injury. This dual-tracking method reveals how ferroptosis exacerbates renal damage and enables non-invasive diagnosis via urinalysis.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Molecular Biology
- Renal Pathophysiology
Background:
- Kidney injury can lead to multi-organ failure, with ferroptosis, a cell death mode, playing a key role.
- Ferroptosis is driven by redox imbalance, but tracking individual redox events is insufficient to understand kidney injury pathogenesis.
- Simultaneous monitoring of oxidative and reductive markers is crucial for understanding renal pathogenesis and enabling early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer a dual-responsive fluorescent probe for simultaneous monitoring of glutathione (GSH) and peroxynitrite (ONOO-) in ferroptosis-mediated kidney injury.
- To elucidate the dynamic interplay between GSH depletion and ONOO- accumulation in kidney injury models.
- To validate the probe for real-time in vivo tracking and potential non-invasive diagnostic applications.
Main Methods:
- Development of a click-coupled dual-responsive fluorescent probe (CY-LS) with hydrophilic chains for synergistic monitoring of GSH and ONOO-.
- In vivo tracking of GSH and ONOO- dynamics in drug-induced acute and diabetic-induced chronic kidney injury models.
- Assessment of ferroptosis inhibition effects on redox markers and validation of the probe for therapeutic monitoring.
Main Results:
- The CY-LS probe enabled real-time, in-situ tracking of GSH and ONOO- dynamics in vivo.
- Synchronous GSH depletion and ONOO- accumulation were found to synergistically exacerbate kidney injury via ferroptosis.
- Pharmacological inhibition of ferroptosis reversed the observed redox dyshomeostasis, confirming the probe's utility for therapeutic monitoring.
- The probe demonstrated exceptional renal clearance, enabling non-invasive diagnosis through urinalysis.
Conclusions:
- The developed modular toolkit, CY-LS probe, is effective for deciphering renal pathologies driven by ferroptosis.
- Simultaneous tracking of GSH and ONOO- provides critical insights into redox-driven kidney injury.
- This approach paves the way for precision diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of redox-associated disorders.
