title: Physiological behavior of quantum dots.
abstract: Quantum dots (QDs) have shown great potentials in biomedical applications like bioimaging, sensors and diagnostics due to various advantages such as their robust fluorescence, remarkable photostability, large absorption cross section, and tunable fluorescence emission. The fate, behavior, metabolism, and toxicities of QDs are the primary aspects to be assessed before their bio-applications. Numerous studies concerning those aspects have been reported in the past years. However, only several reviews discussed the toxicities of QDs and various contradictory conclusions appear between these studies. In this review, the fate, metabolism, and behaviors of various QDs and crucial parameters that may determine their fate and behavior in vivo are discussed in depth. This review may provide insights for a better understanding of the biological impacts of QDs. We also propose several suggestions for how to develop QDs application in humans in the future.
authors: CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, China.
authors: Ligeng
authors: L
authors: Xu
authors: Chunying
authors: C
authors: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D045663:Quantum Dots