Department of Nanoscience and Technology, Gachon University, 1342 Seongnam-daero, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13120, South Korea.
Department of BioNano Technology, Gachon University, 1342 Seongnam-daero, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13120, South Korea.
Analyst. 2024 Aug 5;149(16):4095-4115. doi: 10.1039/d4an00630e.
Carbon dots (CDs), including carbon quantum dots, graphene quantum dots, carbon nanodots, and polymer dots, have gained significant attention due to their unique structural and fluorescence characteristics. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the classification, structural characteristics, and fluorescence properties of CDs, followed by an exploration of various fluorescence sensing mechanisms and their applications in gene detection, nucleolus imaging, and gene delivery. Furthermore, the functionalization of CDs with diverse surface ligand molecules, including dye molecules, nucleic acid probes, and metal derivatives, for sensitive nucleic acid detection is systematically examined. Fluorescence imaging of the cell nucleolus plays a vital role in examining intracellular processes and the dynamics of subcellular structures. By analyzing the mechanism of fluorescence and structure-function relationships inherent in CDs, the nucleolus targeting abilities of CDs in various cell lines have been discussed. Additionally, challenges such as the insufficient organelle specificity of CDs and the inconsistent mechanisms underlying nucleolus targeting have also been highlighted. The unique physical and chemical properties of CDs, particularly their strong affinity toward deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), have spurred interest in gene delivery applications. The use of nuclear-targeting peptides, polymers, and ligands in conjunction with CDs for improved gene delivery applications have been systematically reviewed. Through a comprehensive analysis, the review aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the potential and challenges associated with CDs in biomedical applications.
碳点（CDs），包括碳量子点、石墨烯量子点、碳纳米点和聚合物点，由于其独特的结构和荧光特性而受到广泛关注。本综述全面介绍了 CDs 的分类、结构特征和荧光性质，探讨了各种荧光传感机制及其在基因检测、核仁成像和基因传递中的应用。此外，还系统研究了通过将各种表面配体分子（包括染料分子、核酸探针和金属衍生物）功能化到 CDs 上来实现灵敏核酸检测的方法。细胞核仁的荧光成像在研究细胞内过程和亚细胞结构的动力学方面发挥着重要作用。通过分析 CDs 中荧光和结构-功能关系的机制，讨论了它们在各种细胞系中的核仁靶向能力。此外，还强调了 CDs 存在的一些挑战，如细胞器特异性不足和核仁靶向的机制不一致等问题。CDs 的独特物理和化学性质，特别是它们与脱氧核糖核酸（DNA）的强亲和力，激发了人们对基因传递应用的兴趣。本文还系统地综述了利用核靶向肽、聚合物和配体与 CDs 结合以提高基因传递应用的方法。通过全面分析，本综述旨在促进对 CDs 在生物医学应用中潜力和挑战的深入理解。
