Advancements in SERS-based biological detection and its application and perspectives in pancreatic cancer

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has become an essential bio-detection technique. Due to its high sensitivity, good signal specificity, and resistance to photobleaching, SERS has been widely used in biomedical research fields such as molecular imaging, tumor diagnosis, and drug monitoring. This review focuses on the progress of SERS in biomedical applications. We first introduce the basic principle of SERS and the progress of substrate research. Then, we summarize the latest research progress on SERS in drug monitoring, cell and exosome detection, tumor imaging, and detection platforms combining microfluidic and lateral flow technologies. Subsequently, the applied research of SERS in early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and drug efficacy monitoring is described. Finally, the future development direction and possible challenges of SERS in tumor diagnosis and treatment are proposed. This review discusses the application of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) technology in biomedicine. It provides a comprehensive summary of the research advancements in SERS, including substrate design, drug detection, exosome detection, circulating tumor cell detection, biological imaging, early accurate diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, and therapy efficacy evaluation. Moreover, it outlines potential directions for future research on the application of SERS technology within the field of biomedicine.image