Phosphonated Heptamethine Dye Alleviates Radiation‐Induced Bone Loss

Abstract

High levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are closely associated with osteoclast formation and function, resulting in bone loss. Herein, we report a novel ROS scavenger, IR‐ALN, based on the heptamethine cyanine (Cy7) dyes. IR‐ALN not only retained the inherent near‐infrared fluorescence imaging and ROS scavenging activity of Cy7 dyes, but was also selectively absorbed by the osteoclast precursor cells, inhibiting osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption activity. Moreover, IR‐ALN exhibited bone‐targeted accumulation in a dose‐dependent manner and effectively alleviated bone and trabecular volume loss caused by ionizing radiation. Our results suggest that IR‐ALN is a potential radioprotective agent that prevents ionizing radiation‐induced bone loss. Furthermore, our design strategy for IR‐ALN can be used as a reference for the development of new radioprotective agents.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved