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

Abstract

Understanding the pharmacokinetic profiles of nanomaterials in living organisms is essential for their application in disease treatment. Bipyramidal DNA frameworks (BDFs) are a type of DNA nanomaterial that have shown prospects in the fields of molecular imaging and therapy. To serve as a reference for disease-related studies involving the BDF, we constructed a ⁶⁸Ga-BDF and employed positron emission tomography (PET) imaging to establish its pharmacokinetic model in healthy mice. Our investigation revealed that the BDF was primarily eliminated from the body via the urinary system. Ureteral obstruction could significantly alter the metabolism of the urinary system. By utilizing the established pharmacokinetic model, we sensitively observed distinct imaging indicators in unilateral ureteral obstruction and acute kidney injury (a complication of ureteral obstruction) mouse models. Furthermore, we observed that the BDF showed therapeutic effects in an AKI model. We believe that the established pharmacokinetic model and unique renal excretion characteristics of the BDF will provide researchers with more information for studying kidney diseases.