Metal nanoclusters (NCs) are ultrasmall nanoparticles with intriguing molecule-like physicochemical properties. In recent years, metal NCs have been used as theranostic agents in biomedicine. In this short review, we correlate the physicochemical properties of metal NCs to their biomedical applications, shedding some light on the design of metal NC-based theranostic agents in cancer therapy, imaging-guided therapy, antimicrobial agents, and bioimaging. Such design principles could be readily realized in atomically precise metal NCs, leveraging recent advances in synthetic chemistry and the structural resolution of metal NCs.

中文翻译：

---

工程超小型金属纳米簇作为有望的治疗剂

金属纳米团簇（NCs）是具有分子状理化性质的超小型纳米颗粒。近年来，金属NC已被用作生物医学中的治疗试剂。在这篇简短的综述中，我们将金属NC的理化特性与它们的生物医学应用相关联，为癌症治疗，影像引导疗法，抗微生物剂和生物成像中基于金属NC的治疗试剂的设计提供了一些启示。利用合成化学的最新进展和金属NC的结构分辨率，可以在原子精确的金属NC中轻松实现这种设计原理。