The Application of Nucleic Acid Probe–Based Fluorescent Sensing and Imaging in Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy

Abstract

It is well known that cancer incidence and death rates have been growing, but the development of cancer theranostics and therapeutics has been a challenging work. Recently, nucleic acid probe–based fluorescent sensing and imaging have achieved remarkable improvements in a variety of cancer management techniques, credited to their high sensitivity, good tolerance to interference, fast detection, and high versatility. Herein, nucleic acid probe–based fluorescent sensing and imaging are labeled with advanced fluorophores, which are essential for fast and sensitive detection of aberrant nucleic acids and other cancer-relevant molecules, consequently performing cancer early diagnosis and targeted treatment. In this review, we introduce the characteristics of nucleic acid probes, summarize the development of nucleic acid probe–based fluorescent sensing and imaging, and prominently elaborate their applications in cancer diagnosis and treatment. In discussion, some challenges and perspectives are elaborated in the field of nucleic acid probe–based fluorescent sensing and imaging.

Imaging of Hepatitis B Virus Nucleic Acids: Current Advances and Challenges

“…A general hurdle for tracking of nucleic acids in living cells are the photostability of organic fluorophores [ 59 ], as is the case for methods such as MB and aptamer systems. As an alternative, an increasing number of fluorescent nanomaterials are being developed due to their improved photostability, such as gold nanoparticles and quantum dots (QD) [ 125 , 126 ]. QD are fluorescent nanocrystals ideal for single-molecule imaging due to their photostability and strong signals.…”

Recent advances in small-molecule fluorescent probes with the function of targeting cancer receptors

“…5 The high selectivity and sensitivity coupled with low trauma and cost of the emerging fluorescent probe technology make it expected to be a reliable tool to solve the problem of cancer diagnosis and provide certain assistance in the clinical operation process. 6–9…”

Optofluidic Particle Manipulation: Optical Trapping in a Thin-Membrane Microchannel

“…This mechanism serves as a particle sorter and concentrator and can drastically increase particle concentration in the small protrusion cavities by collecting particles from a fluid flow stream. Once isolated in the cavity, these particles can be analyzed through a variety of mechanisms [ 13 , 14 ] or altered through chemical reactions, temperature, or mechanical stimulation [ 15 , 16 ].…”