AUTHOR=Huang Ge , Su Chen , Wang Lijuan , Fei Yanxia , Yang Jinfeng 

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

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Chemistry

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/chemistry/articles/10.3389/fchem.2021.705458

DOI=10.3389/fchem.2021.705458

ISSN=2296-2646

ABSTRACT=It is well-known that cancer incidence and death rates have been growing, but the development of cancer theranostic and therapeutics has been a challenging work. Recently, nucleic acid probes-based fluorescent sensing and imaging have achieved remarkable improvements in a variety of cancer management, credited to their high sensitivity, good tolerance to interference, fast detection, and high versatility. Herein, nucleic acid probes-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 diagnostics and targeted treatment. In this review, we introduce the characteristics of nucleic acid probes, summarize the development of nucleic acid probes-based fluorescent sensing and imaging, and prominently elaborate their applications in cancer diagnostics and treatment. In discussion, some challenges and perspectives are elaborated in the field of nucleic acid probes-based fluorescent sensing and imaging.