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Novel Nanoprobes for Biomedical Sensing, Disease Detection, and Theranostic Applications
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Novel Nanoprobes for Biomedical Sensing, Disease Detection, and Theranostic Applications

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanosensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 3967

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ke Cheng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
Interests: chemical biology; nanomaterials; cancer theranostics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The development of multifunctional nanoprobes has revolutionized biomedical sensing and disease detection. These nanomaterials possess the ability to detect biomolecules with high sensitivity and specificity, enabling the early diagnosis of diseases such as cancer and infectious disorders. Recent advancements have expanded the role of nanoprobes into theranostic agents, integrating both diagnostic and therapeutic functions. Furthermore, integrating cutting-edge innovations like deep learning with nanoprobe technology has unlocked new possibilities for enhanced image processing, data analysis, and predictive diagnostics. By leveraging novel approaches, real-time monitoring and precision therapy can be optimized, paving the way for more personalized and effective healthcare solutions. This Special Issue will explore the latest breakthroughs in nanoprobe design and their applications in both diagnostics and therapy.

Dr. Ke Cheng
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • nanoprobes
  • biomedical sensing
  • disease detection
  • theranostics
  • deep learning
  • targeted therapy
  • smart nanodevices

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 1185 KB  
Article
A Dual-Mode Near-Infrared Optical Probe and Monte Carlo Framework for Functional Monitoring of Rheumatoid Arthritis: Addressing Diagnostic Ambiguity and Skin Tone Robustness
by Parmveer Atwal, Ryley McWilliams, Ramani Ramaseshen and Farid Golnaraghi
Sensors 2026, 26(4), 1179; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26041179 - 11 Feb 2026
Viewed by 614
Abstract
Current diagnostic modalities for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and ultrasound (US), excel at visualizing structural pathology but are either resource-intensive or often limited to morphological assessment. In this work, we present the design and technical validation of a [...] Read more.
Current diagnostic modalities for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and ultrasound (US), excel at visualizing structural pathology but are either resource-intensive or often limited to morphological assessment. In this work, we present the design and technical validation of a low-cost continuous-wave near-infrared (NIR) dual-mode optical probe for functional monitoring of joint inflammation. Unlike superficial imaging, NIR light penetrates approximately 3–5 cm and is tissue and wavelength dependent, enabling trans-illumination of the synovial volume. The system combines reflectance and transmission geometries to resolve the ambiguity between disease presence and disease severity. To validate the diagnostic logic, we employed mcxyzn Monte Carlo (MC) simulations to model the optical signature of RA progression from early onset to EULAR-OMERACT grade 2 pannus hypertrophy on a simplified finger model, based on several tissue models in the literature and supported by physical measurements on a multilayer silicone phantom and in vivo signal verification on human volunteers. Our results demonstrate a distinct functional dichotomy: reflectance geometry serves as a binary discriminator of synovial turbidity onset, while transmission flux serves as a monotonic proxy for pannus volume, exhibiting a quantifiable signal decay consistent with the Beer–Lambert law. Signal verification on a subject with confirmed RA pathology demonstrated a significant increase in the effective attenuation coefficient (µeff ~ 0.59 mm−1) compared to the healthy baseline (µeff ~ 0.47  mm−1). Furthermore, simulation analysis revealed a critical “metric inversion” in darker skin phenotypes (Fitzpatrick V–VI), where the standard beam-broadening signature of inflammation is artificially suppressed by epidermal absorption. We conclude that while transmission flux remains a robust grading metric across diverse skin tones, morphological beam-shape metrics are not robust, particularly in high-absorption populations. By targeting the hemodynamic precursors of structural damage, this dual-mode probe design offers a potential pathway for longitudinal, quantitative monitoring of disease activity at the point of care, while the systematic use of the Monte Carlo framework provides insight into the measurement geometry most suitable for a given clinical endpoint, whether that be detecting the presence or severity of rheumatoid arthritis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Nanoprobes for Biomedical Sensing, Disease Detection, and Theranostic Applications)
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17 pages, 6865 KB  
Article
Improving Stroke Treatment Using Magnetic Nanoparticle Sensors to Monitor Brain Thrombus Extraction
by Dhrubo Jyoti, Daniel Reeves, Scott Gordon-Wylie, Clifford Eskey and John Weaver
Sensors 2025, 25(3), 672; https://doi.org/10.3390/s25030672 - 23 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2795
Abstract
(1) Background: Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) successfully treats ischemic strokes by extracting the thrombus, or clot, using a stent retriever to pull it through the blood vessel. However, clot slippage and/or fragmentation can occur. Real-time feedback to a clinician about attachment between the stent [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) successfully treats ischemic strokes by extracting the thrombus, or clot, using a stent retriever to pull it through the blood vessel. However, clot slippage and/or fragmentation can occur. Real-time feedback to a clinician about attachment between the stent and clot could enable more complete removal. We propose a system whereby antibody-targeted magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) are injected via a microcatheter to coat the clot, oscillating magnetic fields excite the particles, and a small coil attached to the catheter picks up a signal that determines the proximity of the clot to the stent. (2) Methods: We used existing simulation code to model the signal from NPs distributed on a hemispherical clot with three orthogonally applied magnetic fields. An in vitro apparatus was built that applied fields and read out signals from a 1.5 mm pickup coil at a variable distance and orientation angle from a sample of 100 nm iron oxide core/shell NPs. (3) Results: Our simulations suggest that the sum of the voltages induced in the pickup coil from three orthogonal applied fields could localize a clot to within 180 µm, regardless of the exact orientation of the pickup coil, with further precision added via rotation-correction formulae. Our experimental system validated simulations; we estimated an in vitro distance recovery precision of 41 µm with a pickup coil 1 mm from the clot. (4) Conclusions: Magnetic NP sensing could be a safe and real-time method to estimate whether a clot is attached to the stent retriever during MT. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Nanoprobes for Biomedical Sensing, Disease Detection, and Theranostic Applications)
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