Toxicity evaluation of cadmium-containing quantum dots: A review of optimizing physicochemical properties to diminish toxicity

• Published in: Colloids and surfaces, B, Biointerfaces Vol. 200; p. 111609
• Main Authors: Hu, Liang, Zhong, Hui, He, Zhiguo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01-04-2021
• Subjects: Cytotoxicity; Physicochemical properties; Quantum dots; Risk assessment; Toxicity mechanism; Toxicity mechanism; Cytotoxicity; Quantum dots; Risk assessment; Physicochemical properties
• ISSN: 0927-7765; 1873-4367
• DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2021.111609

[Display omitted]
•The toxicity of QDs urgently needs enough attention before clinical application.•Autophagy is an effective way to resist the toxicity of QDs in the initial stage.•The physicochemical properties of QDs can be optimized for reducing their toxicity.•In-situ, real-time, and rapid quantitative analysis methods are expected in the future.
Fluorescent quantum dots (QDs) have received extensive attention because of their excellent optical properties and wide utilization in biological and biomedical areas. Nonetheless, there have been intense concerns on the cytotoxicity assessment of cadmium-containing QDs due to free cadmium ions release and nano-size effects. This paper reviews the representative synthetic strategies for preparation of cadmium-containing QDs and their applications. Then the toxicity assessments of QDs from cell studies to animal models are discussed, which can aid in improving our understanding of the cytotoxicity of QDs, and the toxicity mechanism is proposed. Several critical physicochemical properties of QDs are discussed and suggestions are provided for optimizing QDs design in view of minimal cytotoxicity. Finally, accurate detection techniques and systematic methodologies for the toxicity assessment of QDs are expected to achieve further breakthroughs in the future, especially in-situ, real-time, and rapid quantitative analysis methods.