Author:
Liang Zhengyan,Khawar Muhammad Babar,Liang Jingyan,Sun Haibo
Abstract
Ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance, and gamma scintigraphy-based detection and bio-imaging technologies have achieved outstanding breakthroughs in recent years. However, these technologies still encounter several limitations such as insufficient sensitivity, specificity and security that limit their applications in cancer detection and bio-imaging. The semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are a kind of newly developed fluorescent nanoparticles that have superior fluorescence intensity, strong resistance to photo-bleaching, size-tunable light emission and could produce multiple fluorescent colors under single-source excitation. Furthermore, QDs have optimal surface to link with multiple targets such as antibodies, peptides, and several other small molecules. Thus, QDs might serve as potential, more sensitive and specific methods of detection than conventional methods applied in cancer molecular targeting and bio-imaging. However, many challenges such as cytotoxicity and nonspecific uptake still exist limiting their wider applications. In the present review, we aim to summarize the current applications and challenges of QDs in cancer research mainly focusing on tumor detection, bio-imaging, and provides opinions on how to address these challenges.
Funder
YangZhou Science and Technology Bureau
Cited by
29 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献