Supramolecular dyes: advancing precision medicine through molecular engineering

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Optical Imaging

Background:

• Precision medicine requires advanced diagnostic and therapeutic tools.
• Small-molecule dyes are crucial for medical imaging but have limitations like poor photostability and quenching.
• Supramolecular dyes offer enhanced photophysical properties for improved performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review recent advances in supramolecular dyes for precision biomedicine.
• To summarize their applications in optical diagnosis and therapy.
• To identify challenges and future perspectives for clinical translation.

Main Methods:

• Review of supramolecular dye development across three self-assembly systems: supramolecular coordination complexes (SCCs), host-guest systems, and enzyme-instructed self-assembly (EISA).
• Analysis of photophysical properties, including photostability, anti-quenching capabilities, and optical tunability.
• Evaluation of applications in tumor localization and intraoperative imaging.

Main Results:

• Supramolecular dyes exhibit superior photostability, tunable optical properties, and resistance to fluorescence quenching compared to small-molecule dyes.
• These dyes enable high-precision optical diagnosis and therapy, addressing limitations in current imaging techniques.
• Significant progress has been made in SCCs, host-guest systems, and EISA for developing advanced supramolecular dyes.

Conclusions:

• Supramolecular dyes represent a promising class of materials for precision medicine, offering enhanced capabilities for optical diagnosis and therapy.
• Further research and development are needed to overcome current challenges and facilitate their clinical translation.
• This review provides a comprehensive overview of the field, guiding future research towards clinical applications.