Recent progress in H 2 S activated diagnosis and treatment agents.

Hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) is a key biosignal molecule in the human body. Endogenous H 2 S, as a gas delivery and protective agent in the body, is involved in a variety of physiological processes, including mediating vascular tone and neuromodulation. The production of abnormal H 2 S levels in the body is related to the occurrence of various diseases, so real-time monitoring of H 2 S in vivo is very important. However, traditional detection methods face enormous challenges in the in vivo detection of H 2 S owing to its high volatility and rapid catabolism. Optical probes developed in recent years with the advantages of high sensitivity, short response time, non-invasive nature and capacity for real-time monitoring can overcome the limitations of traditional detection methods and offer the possibility of real-time monitoring of H 2 S in cells and in vivo . In addition, the production of high concentrations of H 2 S is closely related to the formation of colon cancer, and H 2 S-activated treatment agents have been developed for use in this particular tumor microenvironment, which reduce the toxic side effects of traditional therapy on normal tissues and improves the treatment effect. This review summarizes the recent advances in H 2 S detection probes in vitro and in vivo , as well as H 2 S-activated tumor treatment agents.