Design and Application of Self/Co-assembled Theranostic Probes

Theranostic probes, combining diagnostic (e.g., imaging agents) and therapeutic (e.g., drug carriers, photothermal agents) functions on a single nanoscale platform, enable "detection-localization-treatment-monitoring" closed-loop management. Theranostic probe improve tumor treatment accuracy by real-time lesion tracking and intraoperative drug release. Advances in functional materials (e.g., photosensitizer, metal organic framework, carbon nanomaterials) and stimuli-responsive systems (pH/enzyme/light-triggered release) have enhanced probe sensitivity and controllability. However, clinical translation faces challenges like unclear metabolic pathways, complex multi-scale interactions, and scalability issues. Developing highly specific, low-toxicity probes remains crucial for personalized medicine.
Among the various design methods for theranostic probes, self/co-assembly-based theranostic probes have become a leading research direction in the field of precise disease diagnosis and treatment. Self/co-assembled probes, with dynamic programmability, outperform traditional static designs by adapting to physiological conditions for "smart sensing-targeted enrichment-on-demand release." For instance, fluorescent probe substituted with sugar can be co-assembled with chemotherapy drugs to form nanoprobes, specifically releasing under acidic conditions in tumors, thereby enhancing imaging efficacy and the efficiency of anti-tumor treatment. In addition, co-assembly of magnetic nanoparticles, photosensitizers, and immunotherapy agents enables multimodal imaging-guided synergistic treatment. Despite promising in vitro results, clinical adoption is hindered by complex assembly kinetics, unclear in vivo behavior, and safety concerns. Addressing these through biomimetic design and standardized evaluation is key to advancing precision medicine.

The core objective of establishing the research topic on self/co-assembled theranostic probes is to promote systematic research, interdisciplinary collaborative innovation, and clinical translation in this cutting-edge field. It specifically covers the following directions:
1. Revealing the molecular assembly mechanism and breaking through technical bottlenecks
Focus on the dynamic programmability and environmental responsiveness of self/co-assembled probes, clarify the assembly-disassembly dynamics laws driven by molecular interactions (e.g., non-covalent bonds, biologically specific recognition), optimize the spatiotemporal controllability, biocompatibility, and targeting efficiency of the probes, and solve current problems such as insufficient assembly stability and uncontrollable in vivo metabolism.
2. Integrating multi-modal functions and expanding application scenarios
Explore the multi-functional integration strategies of probes in the theranostic loop, such as coupling imaging navigation (fluorescence/magnetic resonance/photoacoustic imaging), intelligent drug delivery (pH/enzyme/light-responsive), and collaborative treatment (photothermal/immunology/gene editing), to meet the precise intervention needs in complex pathological environments such as tumors, neurodegenerative diseases, and infectious diseases.
3. Building interdisciplinary cross-platforms to promote technology integration
Promote in-depth collaboration among fields such as chemical synthesis, nanotechnology, biomedicine, and artificial intelligence, develop biomimetic material design, simulation-driven assembly optimization methods, and high-throughput screening and intelligent evaluation systems, and accelerate the full-chain innovation from molecular design to preclinical validation.
4. Promoting clinical translation to address practical medical challenges
Address industrialization bottlenecks such as large-scale production of probes, in vivo safety evaluation, and clinical compliance, establish standardized quality control processes and regulatory frameworks, explore the implementation paths in scenarios such as intraoperative navigation, personalized administration, and dynamic monitoring of therapeutic efficacy, and facilitate precise medical practice.

To gather further insights into the diverse and applied nature of self/co-assembled theranostic probes, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
1. Design and construction of self/co-assembled theranostic probes
2. Research on the molecular design of self/co-assembly and assembly mechanism
3. Disease (e.g., tumors, arthritis, diabetes, infectious diseases) microenvironment response of the self/co-assembly
4. Cross-scale therapeutic and diagnostic function integration (e.g., fluorescence imaging, photoacoustic imaging, photodynamic therapy, and sonodynamic therapy)
5. Disease model expansion and clinical translation of self/co-assembly.