Abstract
Despite the numerous available treatments for cancer, many patients succumb to side effects and reoccurrence. Zinc oxide (ZnO) quantum dots (QDs) are inexpensive inorganic nanomaterials with potential applications in photodynamic therapy. To verify the photoluminescence of ZnO QDs and determine their inhibitory effect on tumors, we synthesized and characterized ZnO QDs modified with polyvinylpyrrolidone. The photoluminescent properties and reactive oxygen species levels of these ZnO/PVP QDs were also measured. Finally, in vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to test their photodynamic therapeutic effects in SW480 cancer cells and female nude mice. Our results indicate that the ZnO QDs had good photoluminescence and exerted an obvious inhibitory effect on SW480 tumor cells. These findings illustrate the potential applications of ZnO QDs in the fields of photoluminescence and photodynamic therapy.
Highlights
In recent years, cancer has become one of the most fatal diseases threatening human health and the second leading cause of mortality worldwide [1,2]
We developed an optimized method for synthesizing Zinc oxide (ZnO) quantum dots (QDs) modified with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP40) to improve their stability in aqueous solutions and investigated their characteristics and optical properties
Upon comparison with the absorption spectrum, it was found that the ZnO QDs were synthesized successfully
Summary
Cancer has become one of the most fatal diseases threatening human health and the second leading cause of mortality worldwide [1,2]. The current cancer treatments include surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. These therapies are associated with complications, such as tissue trauma, side effects, and reoccurrence. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a cancer treatment modality that can be applied to treat various tumors. There are several limitations of ZnO QDs, including their poor water stability and easy agglomeration, preventing their application in the biological domain [57,58,59]. We developed an optimized method for synthesizing ZnO QDs modified with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP40) to improve their stability in aqueous solutions and investigated their characteristics and optical properties. Our results indicate that ZnO QDs have considerable potential applications in the fields of photoluminescence and photodynamic tumor suppression
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