Biomimetic Macrophage Membrane-Camouflaged AIE Nanoprobes for Targeted Imaging of Sepsis-Induced Hepatic Inflammation.

Abstract

Sepsis is a life-threatening systemic inflammatory syndrome frequently accompanied by multi-organ dysfunction, with the liver being one of the most vulnerable target organs. However, the lack of effective real-time imaging strategies hinders early diagnosis of sepsis-associated hepatic injury. Herein, we report a biomimetic aggregation-induced emission (AIE) nanoprobe, MM-TPTFA@PEG NPs, for inflammation-targeted imaging of septic liver injury. The AIE luminogenic TPTFA is encapsulated within DSPE-PEG to form stable nanoparticles (NPs), followed by cloaking with primary hepatic macrophage membranes (MM) to confer inflammation-recognition capability. The resulting nanoprobes exhibit uniform size, stable surface properties, and robust fluorescence with minimal signal attenuation under continuous irradiation compared to conventional dyes. Notably, the probe shows negligible reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and low photothermal conversion, enabling nonperturbative and reliable imaging. In vitro studies demonstrate enhanced fluorescence in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated Kupffer cells, while in vivo imaging reveals preferential accumulation in inflamed hepatic tissues with signal intensity correlating with inflammation severity. Histological analysis and biosafety evaluation further confirm the accuracy and biocompatibility of the system. Collectively, this work presents a biomimetic AIE nanoplatform for sensitive and reliable imaging of inflammatory microenvironments, offering a promising strategy for early diagnosis of sepsis-associated organ injury.