Research advance in neurotoxicity of quantum dots / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

ABSTRACT

As quantum dots( QDs),an advanced porduct of nanotechnology,have been widely used in bio-medicine due to their unique photoelectric properties. QD safety evaluation has become a hot area of research. So far,some researchers have expressed concern about the neurotoxic potential of QDs because the central nervous system was confirmed to be one of the target organs. Several studies found that QDs could enter the central nervous system by crossing the blood brain barrier and following neural pathways and produce some neurotoxic effects,such as damaging the structure and function of neural cells and impairing synaptic plasticity. The potential toxicity mechanisms could include oxidative stress,inflammation and change of ion channels.