Scientists have developed quantum dots to improve visualization of tumour for early diagnosis

The quantum dots are delivered intravenously and some of them leave the bloodstream and cross membranes, entering cancer cells. The nanosystem, which achieves a five-fold increase over existing tumour-specific optical imaging methods, generates bright tumour signals by delivering quantum dots to cancer cells without any toxic effects.“Tumour imaging is an integral part of cancer detection, treatment and tracking the progress of patients after treatment,” said Kazuki Sugahara, Assistant Professor at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in California. “Tumour imaging is an integral part of cancer detection, treatment and tracking the progress of patients after treatment,” said Kazuki Sugahara, Assistant Professor at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in California. The new method utilises quantum dots, tiny particles that emit intense fluorescent signals when exposed to light, and an “etchant” that eliminates background signals. Quantum dots were actively delivered to tumours using iRGD, a tumour penetrating peptide that activates a transport pathway that drives the peptide along with bystander molecules, in this case, fluorescent quantum dots, into cancer cells.