The application of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) in biological and biomedical detection schemes is feasible due to its excellent molecular specificity and high sensitivity as well as the capability of SERS to be performed in complex biological compositions. SERS-based investigation of cells, which are the basic structure and functional unit of organisms, represents the starting point of this review. It is demonstrated that SERS provides a deep understanding of living cells as well as their microenvironment which is needed to assess the development of diseases. The clinical relevance of SERS is proved by its application for the detection of cancer cells and tumour margins under in vivo conditions and examples for theranostic approaches are discussed. This review article provides a comprehensive overview of the recent progress within the last 3 years.

中文翻译：

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用于生物和生物医学应用的表面增强拉曼光谱的最新进展：从细胞到临床

表面增强拉曼光谱（SERS）在生物和生物医学检测方案中的应用是可行的，这是因为其出色的分子特异性和高灵敏度以及在复杂的生物组合物中进行SERS的能力。基于SERS的细胞研究是有机体的基本结构和功能单位，它代表了本文的出发点。事实证明，SERS可以深入了解活细胞及其微环境，以评估疾病的发展。通过其在体内检测癌细胞和肿瘤边缘的应用证明了SERS的临床相关性讨论了诊断方法的条件和示例。这篇评论文章提供了过去三年中最新进展的全面概述。