Quantum Dots: The Dual Modality in Cancer Theranostics

Nanotechnology has emerged as a groundbreaking approach offering new therapies and hope for treating malignant diseases. The remarkable and tunable optical capabilities of semiconductor-based nanoparticles, known as quantum dots (QDs), depending on size and composition, have enabled a multitude of applications in the biological areas. They are perfect for drug delivery, biomolecular tracking, in vitro and in vivo imaging, photodynamic therapy, and the diagnosis and treatment of different cancers due to their great photostability and resistance to photobleaching. Tagged with biopolymers, proteins, and antibodies, QDs accumulate at target sites, fluorescing upon irradiation for imaging or inducing apoptosis in tumor cells for therapy. Notably, carbon quantum dots exhibit low cytotoxicity, positioning QDs as a promising technique for diverse disease management1.