Quantum dots reviewed — Could these nanoparticles hold the cure to cancer?September 15, 2006Review of quantum dot technologies for cancer detection and treatment The worlds of medical and biological research are abuzz with the promises offered by nanoparticles known as semiconductor quantum dots. These Quantum Dots (QDs) have unique optical and electronic properties that make them suitable for breakthrough treatments such as the detection and destruction of cancer cells. Just released on the nanotechnology website AZoNano, is a comprehensive review of the latest literature and studies into Quantum Dots. The review by Sandeep Kumar Vashist, Rupinder Tewari, Ram Prakash Bajpai, Lalit Mohan Bharadwaj and Roberto Raiteri, researchers from a range of Italian and Indian universities and research organisations, has been released as part of AZoJono*, the open access AZo Journal of Nanotechnology Online. With a focus on the use of QDs in cancer detection and treatment, the review includes a detailed examination of Quantum Dot advantages, their synthesis, properties and applications, toxic effects, use in imaging and analysis plus Quantum Dot drug delivery systems. The paper also outlines some early success in the detection and treatment of breast cancer. The paper concludes with a quick look at what the future may hold for Quantum Dots in providing new insights into understanding the pathophysiology of cancer and real time imaging and screening of tumours. The level of details provided in this valuable review paper could easily make up a chapter in an expensive text book. However, this paper is available to access free of charge in its entirety at http://www.azonano.com/Details.asp?ArticleID=1726 AZoNetwork |
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| Related Nanoparticle Current Events and Nanoparticle News Articles Silver proves its mettle for nanotech applications The self-assembling properties of the DNA molecule have allowed for the construction of an intriguing range of nanoscale forms. Caltech-led team provides proof in humans of RNA interference using targeted nanoparticles A California Institute of Technology (Caltech)-led team of researchers and clinicians has published the first proof that a targeted nanoparticle-used as an experimental therapeutic and injected directly into a patient's bloodstream-can traffic into tumors, deliver double-stranded small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), and turn off an important cancer gene using a mechanism known as RNA interference (RNAi). New alloys key to efficient energy and lighting A recent advance by Arizona State University researchers in developing nanowires could lead to more efficient photovoltaic cells for generating energy from sunlight, and to better light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that could replace less energy-efficient incandescent light bulbs. Light twists rigid structures in unexpected nanotech finding In findings that took the experimenters three years to believe, University of Michigan engineers and their collaborators have demonstrated that light itself can twist ribbons of nanoparticles. 3-D cell culture: Making cells feel right at home The film "Avatar" isn't the only 3-D blockbuster making a splash this winter. A team of scientists from Houston's Texas Medical Center this week unveiled a new technique for growing 3-D cell cultures, a technological leap from the flat petri dish that could save millions of dollars in drug-testing costs. The research is reported in Nature Nanotechnology. Look at Mie! Calculations are fine, but seeing is believing. That's the thought behind a new paper by Rice University students who decided to put to the test calculations made more than a century ago. Popular nanoparticle causes toxicity in fish, study shows A nanoparticle growing in popularity as a bactericidal agent has been shown to be toxic to fish, according to a Purdue University study. Nanotechnology sparks energy storage on paper and cloth By dipping ordinary paper or fabric in a special ink infused with nanoparticles, Stanford engineer Yi Cui has found a way to cheaply and efficiently manufacture lightweight paper batteries and supercapacitors (which, like batteries, store energy, but by electrostatic rather than chemical means), as well as stretchable, conductive textiles known as "eTextiles" - capable of storing energy while retaining the mechanical properties of ordinary paper or fabric. Fluorescent probes light up cancerous tumors Building on his Nobel Prize-winning work creating fluorescent proteins that light up the inner workings of cells, a team of researchers led by Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator Roger Tsien, PhD, professor of pharmacology, chemistry and biochemistry at the University of California, San Diego and the Moores UCSD Cancer Center has developed biological probes that can stick to and light up tumors in mice. Nano imagining takes turn for the better Stephan Link wants to understand how nanomaterials align, and his lab's latest work is a step in the right direction. More Nanoparticle Current Events and Nanoparticle News Articles |
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