Elimination of Quantum Dots Cell Uptake
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1236-SS08-30
Elimination of Quantum Dots Cell Uptake Hengyi Xu1, 2, Zoraida P. Aguilar2, Benjamin Jones2, Hua Wei1 and Y. Andrew Wang2 1 State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330047, China 2 Ocean NanoTech LLC, 2143 Worth Lane, Springdale, AR 72764, U.S.A. Correspodning author: [email protected] ABSTRACT The nanotechnology is undergoing enormous attention in the areas of biological research for clinical, environmental, and life sciences applications. One of the products from this new technology that attracts researcher’s attentions is the semiconductor quantum dot (QDs) nanoparticles, QDs possess incomparable advantages such as unique size-dependent physical properties, broad absorption spectrum, precise small bandwidth emission wavelength, as well as enhanced chemical and photochemical stability. The QDs can be modified for a controlled and enhanced endocytosis, enhanced cooperative binding activity, and easy introduction of multifunctionalities for medical applications such as targeted delivery and imaging. It can be used for complex studies that play very important roles in the modern biomedical researches. However, when performing the cell related assays, the non-specific cellular uptake of QDs is a major concern because they can lead to false positives or false results. In our study, we used different surface modified QDs treated with different blocking buffers to eliminate cellular uptake. The preliminary results showed that the cellular uptake of QDs can be eliminated by surface modification of the QD materials and by performing the assays in the presence of blocking buffers. As a result of the elimination of non-specific uptake of QDs the sensitivity and specificity of detection increased significantly. INTRODUCTION Nanotechnology is one of the fastest growing sectors of the high-tech industry in the 21st century; it is a cutting edge technology that has found various applications in various sectors. Currently it is undergoing unprecedented developments in biological and medical fields. There are more than 200 separate consumer products alone using nanomaterials with personal, commercial, medical, and military uses [1-2]. Scientists now have a widespread interest in the application of nanomaterials in medicine with its promise of improving imaging, diagnostics, and therapy. The recent advances in synthesis and modification technologies have led to the development of new nanoscale platforms such as quantum dots (QDs), gold nanocrystals, carbon nanotubes, fullerenes, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanocrystals, and other hundreds of nanoparticles. Among these achievements, QDs is one of the most widely used nanomaterials for biomedical imaging. QDs are well known for their advantages such as unique size-dependent physical properties, enhanced chemical and photochemical stability, controlled and enhanced endocytosis, enhanced cooperative binding activity, and easy introduction of multifunctionalities for targeted delivery and imaging [3-5]. Quantum d
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