1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Theranostics. 2012;2(7):631-54. doi: 10.7150/thno.4308. Epub 2012 Jul 4.
Since its emergence, semiconductor nanoparticles known as quantum dots (QDs) have drawn considerable attention and have quickly extended their applicability to numerous fields within the life sciences. This is largely due to their unique optical properties such as high brightness and narrow emission band as well as other advantages over traditional organic fluorophores. New molecular sensing strategies based on QDs have been developed in pursuit of high sensitivity, high throughput, and multiplexing capabilities. For traditional biological applications, QDs have already begun to replace traditional organic fluorophores to serve as simple fluorescent reporters in immunoassays, microarrays, fluorescent imaging applications, and other assay platforms. In addition, smarter, more advanced QD probes such as quantum dot fluorescence resonance energy transfer (QD-FRET) sensors, quenching sensors, and barcoding systems are paving the way for highly-sensitive genetic and epigenetic detection of diseases, multiplexed identification of infectious pathogens, and tracking of intracellular drug and gene delivery. When combined with microfluidics and confocal fluorescence spectroscopy, the detection limit is further enhanced to single molecule level. Recently, investigations have revealed that QDs participate in series of new phenomena and exhibit interesting non-photoluminescent properties. Some of these new findings are now being incorporated into novel assays for gene copy number variation (CNV) studies and DNA methylation analysis with improved quantification resolution. Herein, we provide a comprehensive review on the latest developments of QD based molecular diagnostic platforms in which QD plays a versatile and essential role.
自问世以来，半导体纳米粒子即量子点（QDs）引起了广泛关注，并迅速将其应用扩展到生命科学的众多领域。这主要是由于它们具有独特的光学性质，如高亮度和窄发射带，以及相对于传统有机荧光染料的其他优势。为了追求高灵敏度、高通量和多重检测能力，基于 QD 的新型分子传感策略已经得到了发展。对于传统的生物学应用，QD 已经开始替代传统的有机荧光染料，作为免疫分析、微阵列、荧光成像应用和其他分析平台中的简单荧光报告物。此外，更智能、更先进的 QD 探针，如量子点荧光共振能量转移（QD-FRET）传感器、猝灭传感器和条形码系统，正在为疾病的高灵敏度遗传和表观遗传检测、传染性病原体的多重识别以及细胞内药物和基因递送的追踪铺平道路。当与微流控和共聚焦荧光光谱学结合使用时，检测限进一步提高到单分子水平。最近的研究揭示了 QD 参与了一系列新现象，并表现出有趣的非发光性质。其中一些新发现现在被纳入用于基因拷贝数变异（CNV）研究和 DNA 甲基化分析的新型测定法中，以提高定量分辨率。本文全面综述了基于 QD 的分子诊断平台的最新进展，其中 QD 发挥了多功能和关键作用。
