Nanocluster-antibody-drug conjugates (NADC) as an intravesical precision theranostic agent for interstitial cystitis

Abstract

Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by recurring severe pain in the bladder and surrounding pelvic areas, lacking timely diagnostic and therapeutic options. Here, we propose a unitary theranostic nanocluster-antibody-drug conjugate (NADC) by covalently placing dihydroorotate dehydrogenase inhibitors (DHODHi) and ultrasmall gold quantum clusters (AuQCs) on a nerve growth factor (NGF) antagonistic antibody with simultaneous X-ray computed tomographic and near-infrared fluorescence imaging contrasts. Combining anti-inflammatory effects from all individual components, intravesical NADC specifically homed to bladder mucosal lesions and capably alleviated inflammation in chronic, acute, and prophylactic IC models of rats, as revealed by behavioral and pathological evaluations. Transcriptomics unveiled cytokine modulation and concomitant inhibition of perturbed IL-17, NF-κB, TNF, and JAK-STAT signaling pathways. Interestingly, the NADC reconstructed the host bladder microbiota by differentially varying anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory bacteria diversities. Distinct from conventional nanoparticles conjugated with antibodies and drugs, NADC relies on the antibody framework and represents a state-of-the-art category of precision theranostic agents with translational potential for diagnosing and treating IC patients.