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Review
. 2020 Jun;12(3):703-718.
doi: 10.1007/s12551-020-00653-0. Epub 2020 Mar 5.

Revisiting the cytotoxicity of quantum dots: an in-depth overview

Sohrab Nikazar  1 , Vishnu Sankar Sivasankarapillai  2 , Abbas Rahdar  3 , Salim Gasmi  4 , P S Anumol  5 , Muhammad Salman Shanavas  6
Affiliations
Review

Revisiting the cytotoxicity of quantum dots: an in-depth overview

Sohrab Nikazar et al. Biophys Rev. 2020 Jun.

Abstract

Recently, medical research has been shifting its focus to nanomedicine and nanotherapeutics in the pursuit of drug development research. Quantum dots (QDs) are a critical class of nanomaterials due to their unique properties, which include optical, electronic, and engineered biocompatibility in physiological environments. These properties have made QDs an attractive biomedical resource such that they have found application as both in vitro labeling and in vivo theranostic (therapy-diagnostic) agents. Considerable research has been conducted exploring the suitability of QDs in theranostic applications, but the cytotoxicity of QDs remains an obstacle. Several types of QDs have been investigated over the past decades, which may be suitable for use in biomedical applications if the barrier of cytotoxicity can be resolved. This review attempts to report and analyze the cytotoxicity of the major QDs along with relevant related aspects.

Keywords: Biocompatibility; Biomedical applications; Cytotoxicity; Quantum dots; Theranostic agents.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Structure of quantum dot with surface coating agents. Reprint with permission (Maysinger et al. 2007)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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