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Quantum dots as photosensitizers?

Nature Biotechnology volume 22, pages 1360–1361 (2004)Cite this article

Quantum dots have recently garnered the spotlight as imaging agents and diagnostics. As yet, no papers have reported the exploitation of their energy-transfer properties for therapeutic effect. But several papers published in the past year1,2,3,4,5,6,7 suggest that the cytotoxicity of quantum dots, mediated by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, might be harnessed as a means of killing cancer cells.

Photodynamic therapy

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Figure 1: Cancer therapy on the dot?

Bob Crimi

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Single-Molecule Bioanalysis Laboratory, National Institute for Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 2217-14 Hayashi-cho, Takamatsu, 761-0395, Japan

    Rumiana Bakalova, Hideki Ohba, Zhivko Zhelev, Mitsuru Ishikawa & Yoshinobu Baba

  2. Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8603, Japan

    Yoshinobu Baba

Authors
  1. Rumiana Bakalova
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  2. Hideki Ohba
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  3. Zhivko Zhelev
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  4. Mitsuru Ishikawa
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  5. Yoshinobu Baba
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rumiana Bakalova.

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Bakalova, R., Ohba, H., Zhelev, Z. et al. Quantum dots as photosensitizers?. Nat Biotechnol 22, 1360–1361 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt1104-1360

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