Jiao_2025_J.Pharm.Biomed.Anal_265_117050

Acute lung injury (ALI) has garnered increasing attention due to its high morbidity and mortality, particularly in light of the recent global COVID-19 pandemic. The use of biomarkers presents a promising avenue for the early evaluation of clinical conditions and the prompt initiation of treatment. Especially, it potentially mitigates disease progression without radiation exposure and the reliance on already present and even severe symptoms. Carboxylesterase (CES) has been demonstrated to be a promising biomarker for ALI due to its crucial role in regulating pulmonary surfactant homeostasis and cholesterol mobilization. Herein, we designed three novel chemiluminescent probes (CES-AT, CES-TA and CES-CA) by tethering an acyl group to the chemiluminescent scaffold, enabling the facile and rapid detection of CES. Among them, CES-AT exhibited the highest signal-to-background ratio and the best stability. We further demonstrated that probe CES-AT was suitable for sensing endogenous CES in cells and mice with good cell viability and sensitivity (able to detect as few as 10 cells), thus for real-time imaging of CES levels, varying with the progression of ALI and its treatment. Overall, probe CES-AT can effectively reflect lung injury status, making it a valuable tool for diagnosing ALI and assessing treatment efficacy by virtue of its simplicity and rapid detection capabilities.