Fluorescent probe technology in pneumonia diagnosis: applications, technological innovations, controversies, and future perspectives

In recent years, fluorescent probe technology has emerged as a promising tool for pneumonia diagnosis with its advantages of high sensitivity, high selectivity, and good biocompatibility. This review systematically summarizes the research progress of fluorescent probes in pathogen detection, early diagnosis, and treatment efficacy monitoring for pneumonia and elaborates on their core technological innovations in detection sensitivity, specificity, multiplex detection capability, and equipment integration. It is found that multi-target composite probes, near-infrared/two-photon fluorescent probes, and CRISPR-fluorescent probe combined technologies have provided new directions for precise pneumonia diagnosis, while the development of portable POCT detection devices has promoted the application of this technology in primary medical institutions. Meanwhile, the review deeply analyzes the existing controversies and challenges in this field, such as disputes over diagnostic accuracy, trade-offs in cost-effectiveness, and lack of standardization. Finally, it prospects the future development directions of fluorescent probe technology in pneumonia diagnosis, which will move toward multi-target composite detection, coverage of rare/emerging pathogens, precision, intelligence, and POCT.