Orally Administrable Aggregation‐Induced Emission‐Based Bionic Probe for Imaging and Ameliorating Dextran Sulfate Sodium‐Induced Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

As macrophage infiltration is significantly related to the progression of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), monitoring the macrophages is a valuable strategy for IBD diagnosis. However, owing to the harsh physiological environment of the gastrointestinal tract and enzymatic degradation, the development of orally administrable imaging probes for tracking macrophages remains a considerable challenge. Accordingly, herein, an orally administrable aggregation-induced emission biomimetic probe (HBTTPIP/β-glucan particles [GPs]) is developed for tracing macrophages; HBTTPIP/GPs can diagnose and alleviate dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colonic inflammation and self-report the treatment efficiency. The fluorophore HBTTPIP can effectively aggregate in GPs, restricting intramolecular rotation and activating the fluorescence of HBTTPIP. After being orally administrated, HBTTPIP/GPs are phagocytosed by intestinal macrophages, which then migrate to colonic lesions, enabling non-invasive monitoring of the severity of IBD via in vivo fluorescence imaging. Notably, oral HBTTPIP/GPs ameliorate DSS-induced IBD by inhibiting the expressions of pro-inflammatory factors and improving colonic mucosal barrier function. Furthermore, these HBTTPIP/GPs realize self-feedback of the therapeutic effects of GPs on DSS-induced colitis. The oral biomimetic probe HBTTPIP/GPs reported herein provide a novel theranostic platform for IBD, integrating non-invasive diagnosis of IBD in situ and the corresponding treatment.