title: Enhanced cellular internalization of CdTe quantum dots mediated by arginine- and tryptophan-rich cell-penetrating peptides as efficient carriers.
abstract: Quantum dots (QDs), as a new class of fluorescent tags, have been widely used for biomedical applications. Despite their various advantages, QDs do not efficiently enter cells on their own, and aggregation often occurs following internalization. In the present study, we have designed three QD-cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) complexes to increase the uptake of QD into cells. The results demonstrated that R9 and R5W3R4 form relatively stable noncovalent complexes with QDs, considerably increasing the rate and efficiency of QD uptake by A549 cells. These data suggest that cationic CPPs could efficiently transfer QDs into cells in a non-toxic manner.
authors.affiliation: a Research Center for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology and Department of Medical Nanotechnology , Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz , Iran.|b Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz , Iran.
authors.forename: Samad Mussa
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Farkhani
authors.affiliation: c Research Centre for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz , Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Johari-Ahar
authors.affiliation: d Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases Research Center and Faculty of Pharmacy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz , Iran.
authors.forename: Parvin
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zakeri-Milani
authors.affiliation: e Biotechnology Research Center and Faculty of Pharmacy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz , Iran.
authors.forename: Javid
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shahbazi Mojarrad
authors.affiliation: f Drug Applied Research Center and Faculty of Pharmacy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz , Iran.
authors.forename: Hadi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Valizadeh
mesh_terms: D001120:Arginine / Q000737:chemistry; D002104:Cadmium / Q000737:chemistry*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D057846:Cell-Penetrating Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D045663:Quantum Dots / Q000737:chemistry*; D013691:Tellurium / Q000737:chemistry*; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D057846:Cell-Penetrating Peptides; D004337:Drug Carriers; D002104:Cadmium; D014364:Tryptophan; D001120:Arginine; D013691:Tellurium
keywords: cell-penetrating peptides; cellular delivery; nanoconjugates; quantum dots