(1. Zhejiang Biomedical Materials Technology and Application International Science and Technology Cooperation Base, Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Devices, Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for ImplantInterventional Materials, Cixi Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technologyand Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China)
Protease is an essential basic macromolecular catalyst for the growth and development of biological system and nutritional and metabolic activities. It has always been the focus of life medicine and other fields. Studies have shown that most diseases are accompanied by abnormal expression of proteases, so some specific proteases have become physiological markers of some diseases. The development of protease detection tools can help in the diagnosis and treatment of corresponding diseases. Fluorescence imaging has the characteristics of real-time, noninvasive and high spatial resolution. Through reasonable design, the fluorescent nano diagnosis and treatment probe can realize the response imaging of protease precise targeting. At the same time, based on nano structure, it can combine other treatment methods on the platform to achieve the good effect of imaging and treatment integration. In this review, we summarize the imaging design principles and biomedical applications of nano fluorescent diagnostic probes targeted to matrix metalloproteinases, cathepsins, caspases, trypsin and some other types of proteases such as fibroblast activating protein, hoping to promote the production of new protease responsive nano fluorescent probes with low toxicity and high performance, and realize clinical transformation as soon as possible.