Luminescent Nanoprobes for Biomedical Imaging, Treatment and Detection

Dear Colleagues,

Nanoprobes, a powerful nanoscale tool used to interact with biological systems at the molecular level, have emerged as powerful agents in the field of modern biomedicine, resulting in precise imaging, highly sensitive detection, and targeted therapeutic interventions. Recent advances in nanotechnology and photonics have led to the development of luminescent nanoprobes with excellent sensitivity, specificity, and resolution, enabling real-time imaging, the precise detection of biomarkers, and targeted therapeutic interventions in modern biomedicine.

Their versatility arises from tunable optical properties, surface functionalization, and biocompatibility, which together enable the achievement of early disease diagnosis to image-guided therapy. The integration of luminescent nanoprobes into biomedical workflows represents a transformative approach with the potential to significantly enhance patient outcomes.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, which aims to gather high-quality research and review articles at the intersection of nanotechnology, optics, and biomedicine.

This Special Issue aims to highlight recent progress and emerging trends in the development and application of luminescent nanoprobes for biomedical purposes, including, among others, imaging, biosensing, and therapeutic strategies. Contributions should address the design, synthesis, characterization, and/or practical implementation of these nanostructures in biological environments.

We welcome original research articles, reviews, and short communications on topics such as interdisciplinary research in nanotechnology, materials science, biomedicine, and analytical techniques.

The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

• Fluorescent, phosphorescent, or upconversion nanoparticles for imaging;
• Quantum dots and carbon dots in biomedical applications;
• Design and synthesis of luminescent nanoprobes;
• Nanoprobe-based biosensing for disease biomarkers;
• Luminescent nanoprobes for immunoassays and diagnostics;
• Stimuli-responsive luminescent nanomaterials (e.g., pH, redox, enzymes) ;
• Luminescent nanoprobes for intracellular sensing and tracking;
• Time-resolved luminescence imaging and lifetime-based sensing;
• Hybrid nanostructures combining luminescence with magnetic or plasmonic properties;
• Clinical translation of luminescent nanotechnologies;
• Advances in imaging instrumentation tailored for nanoprobe applications;
• Integration of nanoprobes with wearable or implantable biosensing devices.

We look forward to receiving your contributions to this exciting and rapidly evolving field.

Dr. Paolo Canepa
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.