(Invited) Plasmonic Nanostructures for Early Disease Detection and Precision Cancer Therapeutics

Abstract

Cancers are one of the leading causes of death in the world taking nearly 9 million lives annually. Because cancers place a burden on society, there is considerable interest in developing biosensors for early diagnosis and new, more effective treatments. At early stages of the disease, early diagnosis is integral for treatment success; however, concentrations of cancer biomarkers are very low, and testing is very extensive. Point-of-care biosensors can overcome these challenges by offering fast, accurate results in healthcare fields compared to low-sensitivity, expensive, and time-consuming laboratory techniques. Because of their unique and highly tunable optical properties, plasmonic nanostructures have been applied for biosensor design and in-vivo therapeutics to improve performance. Plasmonic nanostructures have been integrated into paper-based biosensors for high sensitivity and accurate assessment of cancer biomarkers in whole blood with no sample preparation. Cancers are conventionally treated using chemotherapy and radiation treatment; however, advancements in precision medicine are working to overcome drug resistance and target cancer directly instead of through systemic treatment. A plasmon induced resonant energy transfer (PIRET) nanostructure has been designed for in-vivo dual-Raman imaging and photodynamic therapy of cancer. This design provides means for Raman-guided imaging and surgery and destruction of cancer while maintaining the integrity of healthy tissues.