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Review
. 2009 Aug 1;238(3):280-8.
doi: 10.1016/j.taap.2009.04.010. Epub 2009 Apr 18.

Cadmium-containing nanoparticles: perspectives on pharmacology and toxicology of quantum dots

Beverly A Rzigalinski  1 , Jeannine S Strobl
Affiliations
Review

Cadmium-containing nanoparticles: perspectives on pharmacology and toxicology of quantum dots

Beverly A Rzigalinski et al. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. .

Abstract

The field of nanotechnology is rapidly expanding with the development of novel nanopharmaceuticals that have potential for revolutionizing medical treatment. The rapid pace of expansion in this field has exceeded the pace of pharmacological and toxicological research on the effects of nanoparticles in the biological environment. The development of cadmium-containing nanoparticles, known as quantum dots, show great promise for treatment and diagnosis of cancer and targeted drug delivery, due to their size-tunable fluorescence and ease of functionalization for tissue targeting. However, information on pharmacology and toxicology of quantum dots needs much further development, making it difficult to assess the risks associated with this new nanotechnology. Further, nanotechnology poses yet another risk for toxic cadmium, which will now enter the biological realm in nano-form. In this review, we discuss cadmium-containing quantum dots and their physicochemical properties at the nano-scale. We summarize the existing work on pharmacology and toxicology of cadmium-containing quantum dots and discuss perspectives in their utility in disease treatment. Finally, we identify critical gaps in our knowledge of cadmium quantum dot toxicity, and how these gaps need to be assessed to enable quantum dot nanotechnology to transit safely from bench to bedside.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Quantum Dots – Where do we go from here?
Shown above are the components of a representative QD, the core, shell, and targeting ligands. When considering the pharmacology & toxicology of QDs and the cadmium contained therein, one must consider first the aspects of the nanoparticle itself, the functionalized layers, the shell and capping material, and finally, the highly reactive nanoscale cadmium contained in the core. For each component, as well as for the nanoparticle as a whole, subjects where information is lacking and future research is necessary are bulleted. See text for further description
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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