Recent advances in fluorescent nanomaterials designed for biomarker detection and imaging

The highly sensitive detection and imaging of biomarkers are critical for early diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis monitoring. The unique size and structure of fluorescent nanomaterials provide key benefits such as excellent photostability, high fluorescence quantum yield, and tunable excitation and emission wavelengths. These properties have led to the widespread application of nanomaterials in fluorescent biomarkers detection and imaging. In this review, we began by introducing the composition of fluorescent probes and discussing the underlying sensing mechanisms. We then summarized recent advances in the use of fluorescent nanomaterials such as quantum dots (QDs), metal nanoclusters (MNCs), carbon dots (CDs), and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for biomarker detection and imaging. Additionally, we highlighted the applications of fluorescent nanomaterials in the detection and imaging of small molecules, biomacromolecules, and various biomarkers, including metal ions, bacteria, and circulating tumor cells (CTCs). The challenges and future prospects of fluorescent nanomaterials in biomarker detection and imaging were also discussed. We anticipate that fluorescent nanomaterials will have profound implications for clinical biomarker detection and imaging, with considerable application in both academic research and industrial applications.