Transforming cytokine diagnostics: AI, multiplexing, and point-of-care biosensing technologies

Cytokines are central regulators of immune responses and have emerged as key biomarkers in diverse pathological conditions, including infections, autoimmune disorders, and cancer. Conventional laboratory methods for cytokine detection, while accurate, often lack the speed, portability, and multiplexing capacity required for timely clinical decision-making. Recent advances in biosensor technology—particularly at the point-of-care (POC)—are reshaping this landscape by enabling rapid, decentralized, and sensitive detection of cytokine panels in complex biological samples. AI-enabled multiplex POC platforms now achieve limits of detection as low as 0.01–100 pg/mL, with dynamic ranges spanning 3–4 orders of magnitude, using 1–50 µL of sample and delivering results within 5–30 min. Compared with centralized single-plex workflows, these systems provide faster, lower-volume, and more clinically actionable testing. Artificial intelligence further strengthens performance by providing calibrated predictive outputs, uncertainty estimates, and drift monitoring. This review highlights the convergence of multiplexed biosensing strategies with artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the analytical performance, interpretability, and clinical utility of cytokine diagnostics. We first discuss the evolution from traditional platforms to portable and miniaturized systems, and then summarize emerging review literature addressing cytokine biosensing in contexts such as sepsis, metabolic disorders, and systemic inflammation. Next, we examine experimental studies demonstrating POC-compatible platforms for multiplexed cytokine detection, and finally focus on next-generation biosensors that integrate machine learning (ML) algorithms—including convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and decision-tree models—for autonomous signal processing and decision support. Despite challenges in validation, hardware integration, and explainability, these technologies hold transformative potential for real-time immune monitoring, precision medicine, and global health applications.