Recent Advances in Plasmon-Assisted Optical Sensing of Inflammatory Biomarkers

The precise monitoring of specific inflammatory biomarkers is crucial for the accurate diagnosis and management of inflammation and infections, as well as for determining the most effective treatment. Recently, there has been a growing interest in innovative methods employing optical biosensors based on plasmonic nanoparticles (PNPs) for the detection of specific biomarkers. PNPs enable the translation of molecular recognition into results that are simple, fast, reliable, real-time, and easy to interpret. This review explores the studies published in recent years that focus on the development of apta- or immuno-sensors for the detection of inflammatory biomarkers. Focusing on diverse analysis techniques, including colorimetry, localized surface plasmon resonance, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, fluorescence, chemiluminescence, and electrochemiluminescence, this review provides a comprehensive investigation of their applications in the detection of inflammatory biomarkers such as interleukins, procalcitonin, and C-reactive protein. For each method, advancements in sensor design, sensitivity, and specificity are reported. This article is categorized under: Diagnostic Tools > Biosensing.