Engineering of fluorescent biomaging tools for cancer cell targeting based on polyelectrolyte microcapsules encoded with quantum dots

Abstract

Quantum dots (QDs) are fluorescent semiconductor nanocrystals with a high photostability, wide absorption spectra, and narrow, size-tunable emission spectra, which make them promising nanolabels to be encapsulated in microcarriers used as bioimaging and theranostic tools. Here, we describe an approach to the optical encoding of polyelectrolyte microcapsules with the prepared stable water-soluble QDs and key stages of surface functionalization of these microcapsules with cetuximab, humanised monoclonal anticancer antibody. Obtained conjugates demonstrate the specificity and efficiency of the engineered system as a cancer cell–targeted tracing tool that could be used for cancer diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of cancer therapy.