Lateral flow assays (LFAs) are currently the most used
point-of-care
sensors for both diagnostic (e.g., pregnancy test, COVID-19 monitoring)
and environmental (e.g., pesticides and bacterial monitoring) applications.
Although the core of LFA technology was developed several decades
ago, in recent years the integration of novel nanomaterials as signal
transducers or receptor immobilization platforms has brought improved
analytical capabilities. In this Review, we present how nanomaterial-based
LFAs can address the inherent challenges of point-of-care (PoC) diagnostics
such as sensitivity enhancement, lowering of detection limits, multiplexing,
and quantification of analytes in complex samples. Specifically, we
highlight the strategies that can synergistically solve the limitations
of current LFAs and that have proven commercial feasibility. Finally,
we discuss the barriers toward commercialization and the next generation
of LFAs.