Silica Cross-Linked Micelle-Based Theranostic System for the Imaging and Treatment of Acute and Chronic Kidney Injury

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common and serious disease with high mortality and morbidity, and the persistent inflammatory environment brought about by AKI promotes its deterioration into chronic kidney disease (CKD). An efficient and timely targeted drug delivery to the renal tubules is crucial for AKI treatment. Here, we prepared silica cross-linked micelles (SCLMs) with different sizes and studied their targeting ability to the injured kidney. It is found that the SCLMs with a size of 13 nm could rapidly accumulate and remain in the damaged kidney. Immunofluorescence results confirmed that SCLMs are selectively located in the damaged tubular cells but cannot be found in healthy renal tissue. Therefore, fluorescent dye-labeled SCLMs were used for the imaging of the injured kidney, which could reflect the status of the kidney injury. Furthermore, atorvastatin, an antioxidative and anti-inflammatory drug, was loaded in SCLMs as the therapeutic agents for the treatment of ischemia/reperfusion-induced AKI and CKD. Renal function indexes, such as tubular necrosis, collagen deposition, and inflammation, were effectively improved after the treatment.

Automated summary

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a severe disease that often leads to chronic kidney disease (CKD). Efficient targeted drug delivery to the damaged kidney is crucial for AKI treatment. In this study, silica cross-linked micelles (SCLMs) were prepared to specifically target and accumulate in the injured renal tubules. The SCLMs showed selective localization in the damaged tubular cells and could be used for imaging the injured kidney. Atorvastatin-loaded SCLMs effectively improved renal function indexes in AKI and CKD, such as tubular necrosis, collagen deposition, and inflammation.