Research advances of techniques for quantum dots-based tumor marker detection / 生物医学工程学杂志

ABSTRACT

Quantum dots, as a new kind of biological fluorescence material, have properties superior to the traditional organic dyes. In the recent decade, researches about the application of quantum dots in biomedicine have made great progress. Tumor markers have vital importance in the diagnosis and treatment of carcinoma; however, they are not widely used for lack of specificity and sensitivity. Researches about applications of quantum dots in the detection of tumor markers are centralized in three aspects, namely the detection of serum/plasma tumor markers, the detection of tissue and cell tumor markers (such as molecular imaging of cell and tissue), and the detection of tumor in vivo animals. A combination of quantum dots and flow cytometry technique for developing a new technique to detect multiple kinds of tumor markers at the same time with greater sensitivity, specificity, rapidity and convenience may have the potential for clinical use of quantum dots.