Theranostic applications of biomolecule-responsive aggregation-induced emission luminogens

Abstract

Highly sensitive and high-accuracy detection of biomolecular changes is vital for the early diagnosis and treatment of diverse diseases. Due to their unique advantages and the broad application prospects in biomolecular detection, aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) have especially attracted the attention of related researchers. In recent years, the development of AIEgens has been increasingly rapid and a myriad of related AIEgens have been reported. This review thus presents a systematic overview on the theranostic applications of biomolecule-responsive AIEgens based on four representative types, including enzymes, reactive nitrogen species, reactive oxygen species and biological thiols. In each type, we provide detailed elucidation of the associated design strategies, discuss the pertinent responsive mechanisms and present the corresponding diagnostic and therapeutic applications in cancer, inflammation and organic injury. Additionally, the main findings are summarized and the existing limitations and promising directions for future research in this field are also outlined. Through this review, we hope to provide inspiration for researchers in related fields to design new biomolecule-responsive fluorescent materials for clinical diagnosis and therapy of diseases.