Monitoring of Cerebral ROS and Alleviating Depressive-like Phenotype with a Curcumin-Derived Theranostic Probe

Abstract

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a critical role in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder (MDD), a global public health challenge with limited effective treatments. However, monitoring and regulating cerebral ROS in living systems remain challenging, limiting both mechanistic studies and treatment strategies. Here, we present CRANAD-61 (Cr-61), a curcumin-derived fluorescent probe, as a multifunctional theranostic agent for the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced depression mouse model. Cr-61 exhibits a ratiometric fluorescence shift (red to green) upon reaction with ROS, enabling detection of ROS levels in the brain. Beyond its detection capabilities, Cr-61 actively scavenges excess ROS, alleviating oxidative stress through suppressing neuroinflammation and improving depressive-like phenotypes. The dual functionality of Cr-61 for ROS detection and therapeutic intervention opens new avenues for advancing the understanding of ROS dynamics as well as providing a novel therapeutic strategy for depression and other ROS-associated diseases.