This study aims to critically evaluate whether nanomaterial-based point-of-care testing (POCT) platforms for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) genuinely improve bedside diagnosis, rather than merely delivering better analytical sensitivity, and to identify which platform features are most compatible with clinically meaningful decision-making
This review synthesizes recent evidence on nanomaterial-enabled electrochemical biosensors, molecular amplification systems, optical and plasmonic devices, and smartphone-coupled platforms for H. pylori detection. These emerging technologies are assessed against established noninvasive comparators, including urea breath testing, stool antigen testing and stool PCR, with emphasis on biomarker validity, specimen suitability, workflow burden, contamination control and the strength of patient-level validation.
The literature shows a consistent translational gap between excellent analytical performance and limited clinical reliability. Many nanomaterial-based platforms achieve ultralow limits of detection, but their diagnostic value is frequently constrained by weak biomarker universality, idealized matrices or small convenience cohorts. Electrochemical sensors are the most analytically mature, yet often depend on virulence-associated targets with inconsistent correlation to active infection. Molecular platforms provide stronger biological grounding and greater promise for resistance-aware testing, but still face burdens related to extraction, amplification and device integration. Optical and portable hybrid systems offer rapid, user-friendly workflows, although surrogate-biomarker ambiguity and instrumentation demands remain significant barriers.
The review moves beyond a descriptive survey of nanomaterials by reframing H. pyloriPOCT as a translational clinical problem. It argues that nanomaterials add greatest value when they improve robustness, simplify handling or support multiplexed, clinically interpretable testing, and it proposes prospective, comparator-based validation as the key requirement for credible bedside adoption.
