Wu Weitai, Zhou Shuiqin
Department of Chemistry of The College of Staten Island, and The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, Staten Island, NY, USA.
Nano Rev. 2010;1. doi: 10.3402/nano.v1i0.5730. Epub 2010 Dec 9.
Hybrid micro-/nanogels are playing an increasing important part in a diverse range of applications, due to their tunable dimensions, large surface area, stable interior network structure, and a very short response time. We review recent advances and challenges in the developments of hybrid micro-/nanogels toward applications for optical sensing of pH, temperature, glucose, ions, and other species as well as for intracellular imaging. Due to their unique advantages, hybrid micro-/nanogels as optical probes are attracting substantial interests for continuous monitoring of chemical parameters in complex samples such as blood and bioreactor fluids, in chemical research and industry, and in food quality control. In particular, their intracellular probing ability enables the monitoring of the biochemistry and biophysics of live cells over time and space, thus contributing to the explanation of intricate biological processes and the development of novel diagnoses. Unlike most other probes, hybrid micro-/nanogels could also combine other multiple functions into a single probe. The rational design of hybrid micro-/nanogels will not only improve the probing applications as desirable, but also implement their applications in new arenas. With ongoing rapid advances in bionanotechnology, the well-designed hybrid micro-/nanogel probes will be able to provide simultaneous sensing, imaging diagnosis, and therapy toward clinical applications.
由于其尺寸可调、表面积大、内部网络结构稳定以及响应时间极短,混合微/纳米凝胶在各种应用中发挥着越来越重要的作用。我们综述了混合微/纳米凝胶在用于pH、温度、葡萄糖、离子及其他物质的光学传感以及细胞内成像等应用开发方面的最新进展和挑战。由于其独特优势,混合微/纳米凝胶作为光学探针在化学研究与工业、食品质量控制以及对血液和生物反应器流体等复杂样品中的化学参数进行连续监测方面正吸引着大量关注。特别是,它们的细胞内探测能力能够在时间和空间上监测活细胞的生物化学和生物物理过程,从而有助于解释复杂的生物过程并开发新的诊断方法。与大多数其他探针不同,混合微/纳米凝胶还可以将其他多种功能整合到单个探针中。混合微/纳米凝胶的合理设计不仅会如预期般改善探测应用,还将在新领域实现其应用。随着生物纳米技术的持续快速发展,精心设计的混合微/纳米凝胶探针将能够为临床应用提供同步传感、成像诊断和治疗。