Xue Zhong,1,2,* Yuanlong Xie,1,* Yuen Chen,2 Yushen Lu,2 Mingming Hou3 

1Department of Spine Surgery and Musculoskeletal Tumor, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republic of China; 2Second Clinical College, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Orthopedics, Honghui Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Mingming Hou, Department of Orthopedics, Honghui Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China, Email whuhm@126.com

Abstract: Peptide-based fluorescent probes have found widespread applications in biomedical research, including bio-imaging, disease diagnosis, drug discovery, and image-guided surgery. Their favorable properties—such as small molecular size, low toxicity, minimal immunogenicity, and high targeting specificity—have contributed to their growing utility in both basic research and translational medicine. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in peptide-based fluorescent probes, emphasizing design strategies, biological targets, and diverse functional applications. Key areas of focus include the integration of molecular targeting with imaging capabilities, the emergence of multimodal imaging techniques, and the development of activatable probes responsive to specific biological stimuli. Applications are discussed in the context of tumor cell membrane recognition, subcellular organelle targeting, non-cancer disease diagnosis, and detection of both metal ions and non-metal ions. Notably, responsive probes for reactive oxygen species (ROS) and other biologically relevant non-metal ions are also highlighted, underscoring their diagnostic and therapeutic potential. The review also addresses key limitations—such as poor in vivo stability, limited targeting accuracy, and delivery efficiency—and outlines future directions including smart peptide probe platforms, self-reporting systems, and high-throughput screening based on peptide libraries to accelerate next-generation probe development.

Keywords: peptide fluorescent probes, drug-targeted delivery, bio-imaging, tumor cell identification, organelle targeting, metal ion detection, multimodal imaging