Nanoplasmonics for Enhanced Fluorescence Detection of Nucleic Acids: From Fundamentals to Boosting Cancer Management

Cancer remains a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Consequently, the scientific community continues to pursue improvements in diagnostic methods and subsequent treatments. To enhance treatment efficacy and reduce the probability of adverse outcomes, reliable and sensitive diagnostic methods are essential. A potential solution may lie in the synergy between nanotechnology and optical biosensors, as they can provide exceptional sensitivity in the detection of disease biomarkers. This review focuses on fluorescent DNA probes assembled onto metal nanoparticles for cancer‐related applications. These hybrid biosensors exhibit remarkable and versatile optical properties enabling to enhance signal emission by orders of magnitude. In these configurations, metallic particles function as optical antennas for fluorescent dyes, significantly increasing their photon emission rates. This review presents a novel perspective on recent advancements in cancer diagnostics and treatment utilizing hybrid biosensors. Current methodologies for cancer diagnostics are examined, toward elucidating their advantages and limitations. The subject matter is critically evaluated, and fundamental concepts are explored to assess the most promising avenues for clinical applications. These biosensors may potentially integrate into medical practice and healthcare in the near future, both for the diagnosis and prognosis of cancer, as well as for precision (P4) medicine.