Recent advances in water-soluble polythiophenes for biomedical applications.

[Display omitted] • Summarization of recent progress in the biomedical applications of water-soluble polythiophenes, covering biosensing, cell imaging, gene delivery, drug delivery, cancer therapy, and tissue engineering. • Emphasis on polymerization methods of water-soluble polythiophenes. • Description of the mechanisms underlying the biomedical applications of water-soluble polythiophenes. • Outlining of challenges and future developments in the use of water-soluble polythiophenes for biomedical applications. Water-soluble polythiophenes (PTs) have gained attention for their potential in medical uses. PTs have strong electrical and optical properties and are sensitive to outside influences. Recently, they have been widely applied for detecting nucleic acid, adenosine triphosphate, antibiotics, cancer biomarkers, and metal ions. They are also used for imaging cells, delivering genes and drugs, photodynamic, photothermal, sonodynamic treatments, and tissue engineering. However, there is still no comprehensive review covering these applications. This review briefly outlines the medical uses of water-soluble PTs, including biosensing, cell imaging, gene and drug delivery, cancer treatment, and tissue engineering. It also discusses the significant challenges and future directions for water-soluble PTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]