Nanothermometry for cellular temperature monitoring and disease diagnostics

Abstract

Body temperature variations, including the generation, transfer, and dissipation of heat, play an important role throughout life and participate in all biological events. Cellular temperature information is an indispensable link in the comprehensive understanding of life science processes, but traditional testing strategies cannot provide sufficient information due to their low precision and inefficient cellular-entrance. In recent years, with the help of luminescent nanomaterials, a variety of new thermometers have been developed to achieve real-time temperature measurement at the micro/nano scale. In this review, we summarized the latest advances in several nanoparticles for cellular temperature detection and their related applications in revealing cell metabolism and disease diagnosis. Furthermore, this review proposed a few challenges for the nano-thermometry, expecting to spark novel thought to push forward its preclinical and translational uses.