Phototheranostic Biosensing Platforms for Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy

A special issue of Biosensors (ISSN 2079-6374). This special issue belongs to the section "Biosensors and Healthcare".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026

Special Issue Editors

Center for Aggregation-Induced Emission (AIE) Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Energy Materials Service Safety, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
Interests: luminescent nanomaterials; disease diagnosis

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Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Biomedical Engineering Education, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
Interests: cancer diagnostic technique; disease diagnostic biosensor; in vivo fluorescence/nuclear magnetic imaging, cancer multifunctional therapy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Biomedical Engineering Education, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
Interests: microfluidic; lab on a chip; disease diagnostic biosensor; cancer diagnostic technique
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cancer continues to pose a significant global health challenge, demanding the development of innovative, precise, and minimally invasive approaches. The convergence of nanotechnology, photonics, and biosensing has given rise to a transformative frontier: Phototheranostic Biomedical and Biosensing Materials. These sophisticated agents are engineered to seamlessly integrate biosensing capabilities for tumor biomarker detection with light-activated therapeutic functions within a single, targeted platform. This biosensor-driven "see-and-treat" paradigm holds immense promise for advancing personalized oncology.

This Special Issue specifically highlights the critical role of biosensors within phototheranostics for cancer. We seek cutting-edge research and comprehensive reviews focusing on the following: (1) Precise Diagnosis: Biosensors enabling high-sensitivity and high-specificity detection of cancer biomarkers (e.g., nucleic acids, proteins, and cells) for early and accurate tumor identification. (2) Real-Time Therapy Monitoring: Biosensors facilitating real-time evaluation of therapeutic efficacy (e.g., temperature, ROS levels, and biomarker changes) during photothermal and photodynamic treatments. (3) Advanced Material Platforms: The design, synthesis, functionalization, and characterization of novel phototheranostic nanomaterials (e.g., noble metals, carbon-based, organic polymers, quantum dots, MOFs, and hybrids) specifically engineered to enhance biosensor performance (sensitivity, specificity, multiplexing, and signal transduction) and therapeutic functions. (4) Fundamental Mechanisms: Studies elucidating the light-matter interactions underpinning both biosensing and therapy, nano–bio interface interactions governing sensor performance and biocompatibility, and strategies to overcome challenges like tissue penetration depth.

We particularly encourage contributions demonstrating significant advancements in biosensing-driven cancer diagnostics, real-time therapeutic monitoring, and the integration of these functions within effective phototheranostic nanoplatforms, supported by robust in vitro and in vivo evidence.

Dr. Yuxun Ding
Prof. Dr. Xuemei Wang
Dr. Xiaohui Liu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Biomedical and biosensing material
  • Precise Diagnosis
  • Real-Time Therapy
  • Phototheranostic nanomaterial

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Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
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