先进的光学纳米探针对于生物组织的光学成像、疾病的诊断和治疗具有巨大的促进作用, 尤其是对于生物体分子水平活动的动态信息的深入了解。新型的光学探针如纳米金棒、上转换纳米颗粒和氧化石墨烯等, 能克服传统探针的一些不足, 具有较高的对比度、稳定性和生物兼容性, 而且还拥有深层组织成像和实时动态成像的能力。本文对这些纳米光学探针的光学性质和优点进行了简要的介绍, 并通过综述作者及其他研究者在过去几年的研究成果, 总结这些先进的纳米探针在生物成像和医学诊断、治疗方面的应用, 并展望其应用前景。

The employment of nanometric optical probes is powerful for bioimaging, disease diagnosis and therapy, especially for the deep understanding of some dynamic biological processes at the molecular level. Optical probes such as gold nanorods (GNRs), upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) and graphene oxide (GO) can overcome many drawbacks of conventional optical agents. These nanoparticles possess high imaging contrast, stability and biocompatibility. Furthermor, they provide optical approaches for deep-tissue imaging and real-time dynamic imaging. In this review paper, the optical properties and advantages of these nanoparticles are briefly introduced, and some of their applications in optical bioimaging, diagnosis and therapy are summarized based on some of the research progress made by the authors and others. The prospects of their application are also discussed.