In Vivo NIR‐II Ratiometric Imaging of Peroxynitrite for Tracking Redox Dynamics in Tumor Immunochemotherapy
Peroxynitrite (ONOO<sup>-</sup>) is a key mediator of redox imbalance in inflammation and cancer, with in vivo monitoring of its dynamic behavior still posing a major challenge. Here, we developed a BD@PEG nanoprobe that enabled dual-excitation NIR-II ratiometric imaging with superior biocompatibility, quantitative fidelity, and ONOO<sup>-</sup> selectivity. When applied to a drug-induced liver injury model, BD@PEG-based NIR-II ratiometric imaging allowed real-time monitoring of hepatic ONOO<sup>-</sup> dynamics, directly correlating oxidative/nitrosative stress to histopathological alterations, and demonstrating significant attenuation under glutathione treatment. In a CT26 tumor model, the NIR-II ratiometric imaging strategy revealed distinct ONOO<sup>-</sup> modulation in response to different therapeutic interventions. Furthermore, two-plex imaging by integrating NIR-IIb oxyhemoglobin saturation analysis afforded concurrent assessment of nitrosative stress and vascular oxygenation. We found that the combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy induced synergistic ONOO<sup>-</sup> production, enhanced immune cell infiltration, and achieved superior antitumor efficacy. Overall, this study established a versatile imaging platform for dynamic redox monitoring and oxygenation assessment in vivo, providing mechanistic insight into ONOO<sup>-</sup>-mediated pathology and a translational tool for optimizing therapeutic interventions in cancer and inflammation.
Authors
- Yeteng Zhong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3712-2063)
- Qikang Hu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3929-8732)
- Pengfan Lu
- Ahmad Eldoksh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4698-2287)
- Jingrun Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1864-9989)
- Jianming Gu
- Chunyu Xie
Institutions
- Chinese PLA General Hospital (CN)
- Yanshan University (CN)
- National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (CN)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Alexandria University (EG)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Small Methods
- Published
- 2025-12-21
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/smtd.202501888
- Primary Topic
- Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00