Pharmaceutical potential of quantum dots

Abstract

Quantum dots (QDs) or fluorescent nanocrystals are designed nanoparticles that are promising for several biological and bio-medical applications as well as drug delivery and simultaneous cellular imaging. QD's have exhibited promising potential primarily in receptor based targeting as a result of their distinctive physicochemical properties. Functionalized QDs (f-QDs) have been developed as effective, safe, nano-sized smart systems to deliver a wide range of bio-actives. Surface modified fluorescent carbon QDs with surface modification have attracted attention as targeting ligand to accomplish cellular targeting with enhanced specificity. Several surface engineered and conjugated fluorescent carbon QDs are presently being explored for the treatment of cancer and the outcome is eagerly awaited.

Carbon dots for cancer nanomedicine: a bright future

“…Therefore, in vitro and in vivo toxicity studies of CDs are the new challenge to understand the mechanism of these nanoparticles and confirm their safety. [243][244][245]…”

Effect of carbonization degree of carbon dots on cytotoxicity and photo-induced toxicity to cells

“…Several approaches and materials have been used to prepare CDs with a high photoluminescence (PL) efficiency [5]. These approaches are top-down or bottom-up [6] and include laser ablation [7], acidic oxidation [8], pyrolysis [9], hydrothermal treatments [10, 11], and microwave synthesis [12]. In addition, different materials including chemical and natural products [13] and raw materials such as glycerol, graphite oxide, and citric acid are used to fabricate CDs [14, 15].…”

Advances in Drug Delivery Nanosystems Using Graphene-Based Materials and Carbon Nanotubes

“…GQDs, due their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and biocompatibility, could be considered superb delivery systems for loaded drugs through the bloodstream, across the BBB and up to the brain and can be successfully used in neuroscience diagnostics and therapeutics such as photothermal and photodynamic therapy alone or in combination with chemotherapy [16,119,123,124]. Drug delivery-release modes of GQDs-based drug delivery systems including enhanced permeability and retention, (EPR)-pH delivery-release, ligand-pH delivery-release, EPR-photothermal delivery-release, and core/shell-photothermal/magnetic thermal delivery-release modes were overviewed by Jha et al [125], Levy et al [126] and Zhao et al [127].…”