FRET-based polymer materials for detection of cellular microenvironments

Effective detection of cellular microenvironments and understanding of physiological activities in living cells remain a considerable challenge. In recent years, fluorescence (or Forster) resonance energy transfer (FRET) technology has emerged as a valuable method for real-time imaging of intracellular environment with high sensitivity, specificity and spatial resolution. Particularly, polymer-based imaging systems show enhanced stability, improved biodistribution, increased dye payloads, and amplified signal/noise ratio compared with small molecular sensors. This review summarizes the recent progress in FRET-based polymeric systems for probing the physiological environments in cells. (c) 2019 Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.