Recent advances of small-molecule fluorescent probes for sensing and imaging biomarkers of experimental intrinsic drug-induced liver injury.

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a disorder identified by hepatic damage resulting from pharmaceutical drugs, affecting hepatocytes, bile duct cells, and vascular endothelial cells, which leads to variable degrees of inflammation and functional impairment. The diagnosis of DILI predominantly depends on a history of exposure to potential medicines, the elimination of alternative liver disorders, or conventional biomarkers such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). However, the lack of precise, objective diagnostic markers and effective therapeutic strategies continues to hinder progress in this field. Fluorescence imaging technology, with its remarkable advantages in real-time, non-invasive biomarker tracking, has emerged as a powerful tool for the early diagnosis and therapeutic assessment of DILI. This study comprehensively delineates the design strategies, methodologies, and practical applications of fluorescence probes developed from 2019 to 2024, aimed at tracking biological species and microenvironments linked to the emergence and progression of DILI.