Recent progress in nanomaterials for the detection of rheumatoid arthritis-related biomarkers: A clinical perspective

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic and highly disabling autoimmune disorder. Highly sensitive detection and accurate quantification of biomarkers associated with RA are crucial for early diagnosis and effective monitoring of disease progression. However, as the growing number of identified RA-related biomarkers continues to increase and their clinical significance becomes increasingly recognized, existing detection techniques have shown limitations including low sensitivity, limited throughput, and high cost. In recent years, nanomaterials have demonstrated significant advantages in biomarker detection due to their high specific surface area, unique physicochemical properties, and excellent biocompatibility, which substantially improve detection sensitivity and efficiency. This review provides an overview of recent advances in the application of nanomaterials for detecting various categories of RA-related biomarkers, including autoantibodies, inflammatory mediators, proteases, genetic and epigenetic alterations, and indicators of the inflammatory microenvironment. By comparing the performance of different nanomaterial-based techniques, this review offers valuable insights for developing more efficient platforms capable of simultaneously detecting multiple classes of biomarkers. Additionally, the review outlines current technical challenges and unmet clinical needs, including biosafety, reproducibility, and translational applicability. It further highlights future opportunities, such as integrating nanotechnology with artificial intelligence to enhance lesion localization and material design, providing insights into the development of future nanomaterials-based tools for early diagnosis and personalized treatment of RA.