Fluorescence probes for lung carcinoma diagnosis and clinical application

Lung carcinoma is the largest cause of mortality globally, making it the biggest public health issue and a significant barrier to extending human life expectancy. The specific etiology and production process of lung carcinoma are not yet known, and it has a relatively complex and multi-stage occurrence. Early detection and treatment of lung carcinoma can greatly improve the five-year survival rate. Because pre-carcinomatous tumors are small and uncharacteristic in form, early carcinomas are challenging to immediately diagnose with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X-ray photography, computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), or ultrasonography (US). In order to capitalize on the particular characteristics of carcinoma, methods that can emphasize the molecular distinction between carcinoma and healthy tissue are desperately needed. With the development of bioimaging technology, fluorescent probes present a potential solution to this clinical problem. Fluorescent probes have been considered to be effective chemistry tools for achieving early detection and identification of tumor lesions, because molecular imaging technology can explicitly illustrate lesion boundary information during surgery. Fluorescent probes can also qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the lesion state at the cellular and molecular levels in the living body. This review will cover and provide an overview of the most recent developments in fluorescence probe technology for the accurate detection and clinical therapy of lung carcinoma. We anticipate that this review will serve as a spark for the development of intelligent molecular fluorescent probes for lung carcinoma clinical image-guided surgery and imaging diagnosis.