Mesoporous Silica Nanoplatforms: From Controllable Synthesis to Versatile Biomedical Applications

The increasing global burden of severe diseases, such as cancers, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disorders, highlights the urgent need for advanced diagnostic and therapeutic agents. Although techniques like computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and chemotherapy show promise, their effectiveness is frequently constrained by the inherent drawbacks of conventional agents, such as poor solubility, low stability, and lack of targeting ability, as well as physiological barriers like the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which limit bioavailability and induce systemic toxicity. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have emerged as promising platforms to overcome these challenges, offering high surface area, tunable pore size, and facile surface functionalization for efficient cargo loading. Therefore, in this work, the recent advances in the synthesis, structural control, and functional design of MSNs-based composites are systematically reviewed, with a focus on their biomedical applications in diagnosis (e.g., fluorescence imaging (FLI)/MRI/PET), therapy (e.g., chemo-, dynamic, thermal, and gas therapy), and tissue engineering. Key strategies for performance optimization and structure-property relationships are discussed in depth. Finally, we delineate prevailing challenges and future directions for the clinical translation of MSNs-based nanomaterials, providing an integrated perspective to guide their rational design and biomedical implementation.