For centuries, medicinal plants have played an essential role in traditional healthcare across the world. As interest in plant-based medicines continues to grow, scientists are increasingly investigating native plant species for their potential to provide safer and more effective therapeutic compounds. A new review by researchers from Sultan Qaboos University highlights the untapped medicinal value of indigenous Omani plants and their potential contribution to modern healthcare.

A team led by Zuo Tingting from Yili Normal University, in collaboration with Professors Zhang Chao and Cao Xiaolong from Southern Medical University, has developed a novel fluorescence-switchable nanoprobe based on black phosphorus nanosheets. This probe enables real-time, dynamic, and visualized detection of the key target PDGFRβ, and accurately tracks changes in receptor expression during tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment, providing a new strategy for evaluating the efficacy of tumor-targeted therapy and predicting drug resistance.

The related findings have been published in the internationally renowned journal Research (2026, Volume 9) under the title "Nano-Enabled Fluorescence Switching: A Novel Strategy for PDGFRβ Detection and TKI Therapy Monitoring".