3-QD@DNA NC	Triple-CdTe quantum-dot-labelled DNA nanocomposites
3SPCE	Three-screen-printed carbon electrode
AgNCs	Silver nanoclusters
AIPC	Androgen-independent prostate cancer
Au-NPFe2O3NC	Gold-loaded nanoporous superparamagnetic iron oxide nano-cubes
AuNPs	Gold NPs
AuNPs/GQDs/GO	Gold nanoparticles/graphene quantum dots/graphene oxide
AuNPs-MoS2	Gold-nanoparticle-decorated molybdenum sulfide
BCSCs	Breast cancer stem cells
BHQ1	Black Hole Quencher 1
BRCA1	Breast cancer 1 gene mutation
CA 15-3	Cancer antigen 15-3
C-dots	Carbon dots
CESA	Cyclic enzymatic signal boost
CHA	Catalytic hairpin assembly
CQDs	Carbon quantum dots
CS	Nanoparticles of chitosan
CS-MB	Chitosan-molecular beacon
d PG-NH2	Polyglycerol dendritic nanocarrier
DMHs	DNA mini hexahedrons
DPSCs	Dental pulp MSCs
DPV	Differential pulse voltammetry
DSA	Double signal amplification
DSN	Double-strand specific nuclease
DTPs	DNA tetrahedron probes
DTPs-Au	DNA tetrahedron probes onto gold films
EATR	Enzyme-assisted target recycling
EGFR	Epidermal growth-factor receptor
EVs	Extracellular vesicles
FC60	Fullerene nanoparticles
FRET	Förster or fluorescent resonance energy transfer
FUS	Focused ultrasound
GBM	Glioblastoma
GCE	Glassy carbon electrode
GNPs	Plasmonic gold nanoparticles
GNRs	Gold nanorods
GO	Graphene oxide
GO–AuNPs	Graphene oxide–gold nanoparticles
GP	Nanocomposite of graphene
GQDs	Graphene quantum dots
HA	Hyaluronic acid
HCC	Hepatocellular carcinoma
HP-AuNPs	Hairpin-modified gold nanoparticles
HPs	Hairpin probes
LOD	Limit of detection
LRET	Luminescence resonance energy transfer
LSPR	Surface plasmon resonance
MB	Molecular beacon
MBs	Microbubbles
MCF-7	Breast cancer cells
miRNA	microRNA
MPNPs	Magneto-plasmonic nanoparticles
MSCs-Exo	Exosomes from bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells
MSNs	Mesoporous silica nanoparticles
nano-miRs	Nanoparticles containing miRNA
NGS	Next-generation sequencing
NMOFs	Metal–organic framework nanoparticles
NPs	Nanoparticles
PC	Photonic crystal
PEG2k-PEI	Polyethylenimine (PEI) modifications including PEGylation
PEI	Polyethylenimine
PEI	Polyetherimide
PolyGIONs	Polyfunctional gold–iron oxide nanoparticles
PPY	Polypyrrole
PRAM	Photonic resonator absorption microscopy
QDs	Quantum dots
qRT-PCR	Real-time polymerase chain reaction
RCA	Rolling-circle amplification
RNAP	RNA probes
RSV	Resveratrol
SA-aptamer	Streptavidin aptamer
SERS	Surface-enhanced Raman scattering
SiO2NPs	Silica dioxide nanoparticles
SM	Sphingomyelin
SPCE	Screen-printed carbon electrode
SPIONs, SP	Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles
SPR	Surface plasmon resonance
ssDNA	Single-stranded DNA
SWV	Square-wave voltammetry
TEVs	Tumour-cell-derived extracellular vesicles
TF	Transferrin
TF-TQ-Np	Thymoquinone nanoparticles using transferrin
TMSD	Toehold-mediated strand displacement
TNBC	Triple-negative breast cancer
TQ-Np	Thymoquinone nanoparticles
UCL	Upconversion luminescence
UPNPs	Gold nanorods with upconverting nanoparticles