Recent advances and prospects in smart optical nanoprobes for precision detection of liver diseases

Liver diseases, often caused by pathological processes such as redox disruption, immune dysregulation, and hepatocyte apoptosis, pose a major global health burden. Optical imaging technology enables noninvasive detection of physiological and pathological events and provides a potent tool for the early detection of liver diseases. By integrating disease-specific responsive mechanisms, smart optical nanoprobes can sensitively detect molecular-level changes in hepatic biomarkers that occur well before histological changes. Recently, numerous smart optical nanoprobes, incorporating diverse stimulus-responsive mechanisms and advanced imaging modalities, have shown great promise for precise in vivo diagnosis of liver diseases. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in smart optical nanoprobes and their applications to various liver diseases over the past decade. In addition, the design principles, response mechanisms, and imaging strategies underlying the development of high-performance optical nanoprobes are systematically discussed, with representative examples highlighted. Finally, the prospects and potential challenges associated with smart optical nanoprobes are discussed, with the aim of facilitating the development and clinical translation of next-generation optical nanoprobes for the early and precise diagnosis of liver diseases.