Harnessing Aggregation-Induced Emission-Based Detection Toolbox for Diagnostics of Urogenital Tumors

Urogenital system tumors include prostate cancer, bladder cancer, ovarian cancer, and other very common solid tumor diseases with high morbidity and high mortality. The unique physiological and anatomical features of the urogenital system render it particularly amenable to the application of tissue imaging techniques for diagnostic purposes. The advancement of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) materials has addressed the limitations associated with conventional fluorescent materials that are prone to aggregation-caused quenching. This advancement has facilitated the development of innovative AIE fluorescent materials characterized by enhanced photostability, an increased signal-to-noise ratio, and improved imaging quality. This article reviews the research progress of AIE biosensors in the diagnosis of urogenital tumors. It mainly involves biomarker diagnostic in vitro and fluorescence imaging in urogenital solid tumors such as prostate cancer, uterine cancer, bladder cancer, and ovarian cancer, which are based on AIE biosensors. In addition, a comprehensive description of AIE biosensors’ synthesis and application strategies is provided. This includes a detailed elucidation of in vitro diagnostic platforms and intracellular imaging mechanisms based on the basic principles of AIE, accompanied by a presentation of quantitative analysis and cell imaging results. In addition, the limitations, challenges and suggestions of AIE biosensors application in the field of tumor diagnosis are summarized, and the development prospect of AIE biosensors in the field of tumor diagnosis is prospected. This article reviews the application of AIE biosensors in the diagnosis of urogenital tumors, and also provides a catalyst for exploring the characteristics of AIE biosensors and its wide application in the field of disease diagnosis.