Black phosphorus nanosheets (BPNSs) have been actively employed as nanomedicine agents for photothermal and photodynamic therapy by virtue of their unique optical properties. However, their chemical reactivity as a competent biomaterial has not been fully explored yet. Here, we report on the use of BPNSs as reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengers to cure acute kidney injury (AKI) in mice. Importantly, in vivo analysis in mice revealed that BPNSs were preferably accumulated in kidney. We found that BPNSs alleviated oxidative-pressure-induced cellular apoptosis. In a ROS-triggered acute kidney injury (AKI) model, BPNSs effectively consumed ROS in kidney, demonstrating high efficacy for curing AKI. BPNSs also exhibited excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability, making them promising candidates for therapeutic treatment of AKI and other renal diseases.
Keywords: acute kidney injury; antioxidative agent; black phosphorus nanosheets; kidney targeting drug delivery; reactive oxygen species.