Dendrimer-based fluorescent nanoplatforms for bioimaging from molecular design to cancer nanomedicine applications

Fluorescence imaging (FLI) has become a real-time, non-invasive, high specificity and resolution technology in the field of cancer medicine. Optimizing the performance of fluorescent probes is crucial for advancing FLI. Conventional probes exhibit certain limitations, including restricted tissue penetration depth, inadequate targeting capability, and suboptimal biodistribution. However, dendrimer, with their controllable nanostructures, internal cavities and surface functional groups, provide an ideal platform for constructing high-performance fluorescent probes. Herein, we review the latest progress in dendrimer-based fluorescent nanoplatforms (DFLNs) such as dendrimer-intrinsic autofluorescent nanoplatforms, fluorophore-labeled dendrimer hybrids, and dendrimer-fluorescent nanoparticle complexes, with a focus on how these DFLNs have been designed as nanoplatforms for FLI-based different cancer nanomedicine applications including enhanced FLI, dual-modal imaging, and theranostics. This review also discusses the reasonable perspectives of DFLNs in areas such as tumor intraoperative navigation and treatment evaluation. • The molecular design of dendrimers allows for the creation of versatile DFLNs. • DFLNs provide superior imaging performance. • DFLNs enable image-guided theranostics and combination therapies.