Stimuli-Responsive Polymeric Nanoprobes for Bioimaging of Cancer Metastasis

Stimuli-responsive polymeric nanoprobes as a type of nanoscale probe can respond to the tumor microenvironment via specific stimuli inside tumors, such as pH, hypoxia, glutathione (GSH), enzymes, aberrant receptors, and high ATP concentration. The ingenious design of the nanoprobes can improve the specificity and sensitivity to distinguish the slight differences between normal tissues and tumors. Thus, the tiny tumor metastasis can be detected by bioimaging of the stimuli-responsive polymeric nanoprobes. This review summarizes the progress and applications of polymeric nanoprobes in the bioimaging of tumor metastasis. The design strategies for the nanoprobes targeting tumor tissues are discussed according to the stimulus types, including tumor pH, hypoxia, glutathione, enzymes, aberrant receptor, and ATP. Moreover, the challenges currently faced in this field are also discussed. This review will provide valuable insights for the design and optimization of stimuli-responsive polymeric nanoprobes to accelerate the development of bioimaging for tumor metastasis and promote the clinical translation.