A novel insight into mechanism of derangement of coagulation balance: interactions of quantum dots with coagulation-related proteins.

BACKGROUND: Quantum dots (QDs) have gained increased attention for their extensive biomedical and electronic products applications. Due to the high priority of QDs in contacting the circulatory system, understanding the hemocompatibility of QDs is one of the most important aspects for their biosafety evaluation. Thus far, the effect of QDs on coagulation balance haven't been fully understood, and limited studies also have yet elucidated the potential mechanism from the perspective of interaction of QDs with coagulation-related proteins. RESULTS: QDs induced the derangement of coagulation balance by prolonging the activated partial thromboplastin time and prothrombin time as well as changing the expression levels of coagulation and fibrinolytic factors. The contact of QDs with PTM (prothrombin), PLG (plasminogen) and FIB (fibrinogen) which are primary coagulation-related proteins in the coagulation and fibrinolysis systems formed QDs-protein conjugates through hydrogen-bonding and hydrophobic interaction. The affinity of proteins with QDs followed the order of PTM > PLG > FIB, and was larger with CdTe/ZnS QDs than CdTe QDs. Binding with QDs not only induced static fluorescence quenching of PTM, PLG and FIB, but also altered their conformational structures. The binding of QDs to the active sites of PTM, PLG and FIB may promote the activation of proteins, thus interfering the hemostasis and fibrinolysis processes. CONCLUSIONS: The interactions of QDs with PTM, PLG and FIB may be key contributors for interference of coagulation balance, that is helpful to achieve a reliable and comprehensive evaluation on the potential biological influence of QDs from the molecular level.

Hydrothermal synthesis of chiral carbon dots.

Nanocolloids that are cumulatively referred to as nanocarbons, attracted significant attention during the last decade because of facile synthesis methods, water solubility, tunable photoluminescence, easy surface modification, and high biocompatibility. Among the latest development in this reserach area are chiral nanocarbons exemplified by chiral carbon dots (CDots). They are expected to have applications in sensing, catalysis, imaging, and nanomedicine. However, the current methods of CDots synthesis show often contradictory chemical/optical properties and structural information that required a systematic study with careful structural evaluation. Here, we investigate and optimize chiroptical activity and photoluminescence of L- and D-CDots obtained by hydrothermal carbonization of L- and D-cysteine, respectively. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy demonstrates that they are formed via gradual dehydrogenation and condensation reactions of the starting amino acid leading to particles with a wide spectrum of functional groups including aromatic cycles. We found that the chiroptical activity of CDots has an inverse correlation with the synthesis duration and temperature, whereas the photoluminescence intensity has a direct one, which is associated with degree of carbonization. Also, our studies show that the hydrothermal synthesis of cysteine in the presence of boric acid leads to the formation of CDots rather than boron nitride nanoparticles as was previously proposed in several reports. These results can be used to design chiral carbon-based nanoparticles with optimal chemical, chiroptical, and photoluminescent properties.

High-quantum yield alloy-typed core/shell CdSeZnS/ZnS quantum dots for bio-applications.

BACKGROUND: Quantum dots (QDs) have been used as fluorophores in various imaging fields owing to their strong fluorescent intensity, high quantum yield (QY), and narrow emission bandwidth. However, the application of QDs to bio-imaging is limited because the QY of QDs decreases substantially during the surface modification step for bio-application. RESULTS: In this study, we fabricated alloy-typed core/shell CdSeZnS/ZnS quantum dots (alloy QDs) that showed higher quantum yield and stability during the surface modification for hydrophilization compared with conventional CdSe/CdS/ZnS multilayer quantum dots (MQDs). The structure of the alloy QDs was confirmed using time-of-flight medium-energy ion scattering spectroscopy. The alloy QDs exhibited strong fluorescence and a high QY of 98.0%. After hydrophilic surface modification, the alloy QDs exhibited a QY of 84.7%, which is 1.5 times higher than that of MQDs. The QY was 77.8% after the alloy QDs were conjugated with folic acid (FA). Alloy QDs and MQDs, after conjugation with FA, were successfully used for targeting human KB cells. The alloy QDs exhibited a stronger fluorescence signal than MQD; these signals were retained in the popliteal lymph node area for 24 h. CONCLUSION: The alloy QDs maintained a higher QY in hydrophilization for biological applications than MQDs. And also, alloy QDs showed the potential as nanoprobes for highly sensitive bioimaging analysis.

Quantum dots in the biomedical world: A smart advanced nanocarrier for multiple venues application.

Quantum dots (QDs) are semiconducting nanoparticles having different optical and electrical properties when compared to larger particles. They exhibit photoluminescence when irradiated with ultraviolet light, which is due to the transition of an excited electron from the valence band to the conductance band followed by the return of the exciting electron back into the valence band. The size and material of QDs can affect their optical and other properties too. The QDs possess special attributes like high brightness, protection from photobleaching, photostability, color tunability, low toxicity, low production cost, a multiplexing limit, and a high surface-to-volume proportion, which make them a promising tool for biomedical applications. Here, in this study, we summarize the utilization of QDs in different applications including bioimaging, diagnostics, immunostaining, single-cell analysis, drug delivery, and protein detection. Moreover, we discuss the advantages and challenges of using QDs in biomedical applications when compared with other conventional tools.

Olfactory bulb-targeted quantum dot (QD) bioconjugate and Kv1.3 blocking peptide improve metabolic health in obese male mice.

The olfactory system is a driver of feeding behavior, whereby olfactory acuity is modulated by the metabolic state of the individual. The excitability of the major output neurons of the olfactory bulb (OB) can be modulated through targeting a voltage-dependent potassium channel, Kv1.3, which responds to changes in metabolic factors such as insulin, glucose, and glucagon-like peptide-1. Because gene-targeted deletion or inhibition of Kv1.3 in the periphery has been found to increase energy metabolism and decrease body weight, we hypothesized that inhibition of Kv1.3 selectively in the OB could enhance excitability of the output neurons to evoke changes in energy homeostasis. We thereby employed metal-histidine coordination to self-assemble the Kv1.3 inhibitor margatoxin (MgTx) to fluorescent quantum dots (QDMgTx) as a means to label cells in vivo and test changes in neuronal excitability and metabolism when delivered to the OB. Using patch-clamp electrophysiology to measure Kv1.3 properties in heterologously expressed cells and native mitral cells in OB slices, we found that QDMgTx had a fast rate of inhibition, but with a reduced IC50, and increased action potential firing frequency. QDMgTx was capable of labeling cloned Kv1.3 channels but was not visible when delivered to native Kv1.3 in the OB. Diet-induced obese mice were observed to reduce body weight and clear glucose more quickly following osmotic mini-pump delivery of QDMgTx/MgTx to the OB, and following MgTx delivery, they increased the use of fats as fuels (reduced respiratory exchange ratio). These results suggest that enhanced excitability of bulbar output neurons can drive metabolic responses.

Uptake and Transport of Ultrafine Nanoparticles (Quantum Dots) in the Nasal Mucosa.

A wide variety of colloidal delivery systems, including polymeric nanoparticles, metal colloids, liposomes, and microemulsions have been reported to enhance the delivery of therapeutic agents across the nasal mucosa. The mechanisms involved in the uptake of these nanomaterials, especially ultrafine nanomaterials (diameters < 20 nm) through the nasal mucosa are not well understood. Fluorescent quantum dots (QDs) were used to investigate the uptake of ultrafine nanoparticles by bovine respiratory and olfactory mucosal tissues following in vitro exposure, and an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy method was developed to quantify the amount of QDs localized within the tissues. QDs do not biodegrade or release their core materials and, as a result, this method allowed for the direct quantification of the nanoparticles themselves, rather than the measurement of a potentially dissociated drug or label. The results demonstrated that carboxylate-modified QDs (COOH-QDs) showed ∼2.5-fold greater accumulation in the epithelial and submucosal regions of olfactory tissues compared to that in respiratory tissues. Endocytic inhibitory studies showed that clathrin-dependent endocytosis, macropinocytosis, and caveolae-dependent endocytic process are all involved in the uptake of COOH-QDs into the respiratory tissues. In olfactory tissues, clathrin-dependent endocytosis is the major endocytic pathway involved in the uptake of COOH-QDs. Additional energy-independent pathways also appeared to allow the transfer of COOH-QDs within the olfactory mucosa. When polyethylene glycol-modified QDs known as PEGylated QDs (PEG-QDs) of similar size, ∼15 nm, were investigated, no nanoparticles were detected in the tissues suggesting that the PEG corona limits the interactions with endocytic and other uptake processes in the nasal epithelium. The capacity for nanoparticle uptake observed in the nasal mucosa, along with the ability of significant numbers of nanoparticles to enter the olfactory tissues using nonenergy-dependent pathways show that the pathways for ultrafine nanoparticle uptake in the nasal tissues have both drug delivery and toxicologic consequences. This places an increased importance on the careful selection of nanoparticle components and drugs intended for intranasal administration.

Visualizing hypochlorous acid production by human neutrophils with fluorescent graphene quantum dots.

In living organisms, redox reactions play a crucial role in the progression of disorders accompanied by the overproduction of reactive oxygen and reactive chlorine species, such as hydrogen peroxide and hypochlorous acid, respectively. We demonstrate that green fluorescence graphene quantum dots (GQDs) can be employed for revealing the presence of the hypochlorous acid in aqueous solutions and cellular systems. Hypochlorous acid modifies the oxygen-containing groups of the GQD, predominantly opens epoxide ring C-O-C, forms excessive C=O bonds and damages the carbonic core of GQDs. These changes, which depend on the concentration of the hypochlorous acid and exposure time, manifest themselves in the absorbance and fluorescence spectra of the GQD, and in the fluorescence lifetime. We also show that the GQD fluorescence is not affected by hydrogen peroxide. This finding makes GQDs a promising sensing agent for selective detecting reactive chlorine species produced by neutrophils. Neutrophils actively accumulate GQDs allowing to visualize cells and to examine the redox processes via GQDs fluorescence. At high concentrations GQDs induce neutrophil activation and myeloperoxidase release, leading to the disruption of GQD structure by the produced hypochlorous acid. This makes the GQDs a biodegradable material suitable for various biomedical applications.

Surface-Modified Colloid CdTe/CdS Quantum Dots by a Biocompatible Thiazolidine Derivative as Promising Platform for Immobilization of Glucose Oxidase: Application to Fluorescence Sensing of Glucose.

This work focuses on the synthesis of novel modified core-shell CdTe/CdS quantum dots (QDs) and develops as a fluorescence sensor for glucose determination. The (E)-2,2'-(4,4'-dioxo-2,2'-dithioxo-2H,2'H-[5,5'-bithiazolylidene]-3,3'(4H,4'H)-diyl)bis(3- mercaptopropanoic acid) (DTM) as a new derivative of thiazolidine was synthesized and characterized and used to surface-modification of CdTe/CdS QDs. DTM-capped CdTe/CdS QDs used to immobilization of glucose oxidase (GOD). The intensity fluorescence emission of the CdSe/CdS-DTM/GOD is highly sensitive to the concentration of H2O2 as a byproduct of the catalytic oxidation of glucose. The experimental results showed that the quenched fluorescence was proportional to the glucose concentration within the range of 10 nM-0.32 µM under optimized experimental conditions. The limit of detection of this system was found to be 4.3 nM. Compared with most of the existing methods, this newly developed system possesses many advantages, including simplicity, low cost, and good sensitivity.

Graphene quantum dots obstruct the membrane axis of Alzheimer's amyloid beta.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a primary form of dementia with debilitating consequences, but no effective cure is available. While the pathophysiology of AD remains multifactorial, the aggregation of amyloid beta (Aß) mediated by the cell membrane is known to be the cause for the neurodegeneration associated with AD. Here we examined the effects of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) on the obstruction of the membrane axis of Aß in its three representative forms of monomers (Aß-m), oligomers (Aß-o), and amyloid fibrils (Aß-f). Specifically, we determined the membrane fluidity of neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells perturbed by the Aß species, especially by the most toxic Aß-o, and demonstrated their recovery by GQDs using confocal fluorescence microscopy. Our computational data through discrete molecular dynamics simulations further revealed energetically favorable association of the Aß species with the GQDs in overcoming peptide-peptide aggregation. Overall, this study positively implicated GQDs as an effective agent in breaking down the membrane axis of Aß, thereby circumventing adverse downstream events and offering a potential therapeutic solution for AD.

B- and N-doped carbon dots by one-step microwave hydrothermal synthesis: tracking yeast status and imaging mechanism.

BACKGROUND: Carbon dots (CDs) are widely used in cell imaging due to their excellent optical properties, biocompatibility and low toxicity. At present, most of the research on CDs focuses on biomedical application, while there are few studies on the application of microbial imaging. RESULTS: In this study, B- and N-doped carbon dots (BN-CDs) were prepared from citric acid, ethylenediamine, and boric acid by microwave hydrothermal method. Based on BN-CDs labeling yeast, the dead or living of yeast cell could be quickly identified, and their growth status could also be clearly observed. In order to further observe the morphology of yeast cell under different lethal methods, six methods were used to kill the cells and then used BN-CDs to label the cells for imaging. More remarkably, imaging of yeast cell with ultrasound and antibiotics was significantly different from other imaging due to the overflow of cell contents. In addition, the endocytosis mechanism of BN-CDs was investigated. The cellular uptake of BN-CDs is dose, time and partially energy-dependent along with the involvement of passive diffusion. The main mechanism of endocytosis is caveolae-mediated. CONCLUSION: BN-CDs can be used for long-term stable imaging of yeast, and the study provides basic research for applying CDs to microbiol imaging.

Preparation of yellow-emitting carbon dots and their bifunctional detection of tetracyclines and Al3+ in food and living cells.

A novel bifunctional carbon dot (CD)-based sensing platform was constructed for detection of tetracyclines (TCs) and Al3+. The fluorescence CDs were fabricated by hydrothermal method using phenylenediamine (p-PD) and ethylenebis(oxyethylenenitrilo) tetraacetic acid (EGTA) as precursors. The obtained prepared CDs show bright yellow fluorescence (y-CDs, EX = 400 nm and Em = 556 nm), high fluorescence quantum yield (QY = 21.55 ± 0.06%), and preferable optical stability. TCs can directly quench the fluorescence of y-CDs based on static quenching characteristics and a small internal filtration effect (IEF). By adding Al3+ to the y-CDs + TCs system, the fluorescence is partly recovered because TCs escape from the surface of the y-CDs and form a more stable chelate with Al3+. The sensing platform displays good selectivity and high sensitivity to TCs and Al3+ with low detection limits of 0.057-0.23 µM and 0.091 µM, respectively. Importantly, this sensing platform has enabled the detection of TCs and Al3+ in milk samples with satisfactory recoveries and RSDs, confirming the reliability and feasibility of this method. Combining with low toxicity and preferable biocompatibility, the y-CDs are extended to cellular imaging and detection of CTC and Al3+ in A549 cells.

Protein Corona Hinders N-CQDs Oxidative Potential and Favors Their Application as Nanobiocatalytic System.

The oxidative properties of nanomaterials arouse legitimate concerns about oxidative damage in biological systems. On the other hand, the undisputable benefits of nanomaterials promote them for biomedical applications; thus, the strategies to reduce oxidative potential are urgently needed. We aimed at analysis of nitrogen-containing carbon quantum dots (N-CQDs) in terms of their biocompatibility and internalization by different cells. Surprisingly, N-CQD uptake does not contribute to the increased oxidative stress inside cells and lacks cytotoxic influence even at high concentrations, primarily through protein corona formation. We proved experimentally that the protein coating effectively limits the oxidative capacity of N-CQDs. Thus, N-CQDs served as an immobilization support for three different enzymes with the potential to be used as therapeutics. Various kinetic parameters of immobilized enzymes were analyzed. Regardless of the enzyme structure and type of reaction catalyzed, adsorption on the nanocarrier resulted in increased catalytic efficiency. The enzymatic-protein-to-nanomaterial ratio is the pivotal factor determining the course of kinetic parameter changes that can be tailored for enzyme application. We conclude that the above properties of N-CQDs make them an ideal support for enzymatic drugs required for multiple biomedical applications, including personalized medical therapies.

Defining Intermediates of Nitrogenase MoFe Protein during N2 Reduction under Photochemical Electron Delivery from CdS Quantum Dots.

Coupling the nitrogenase MoFe protein to light-harvesting semiconductor nanomaterials replaces the natural electron transfer complex of Fe protein and ATP and provides low-potential photoexcited electrons for photocatalytic N2 reduction. A central question is how direct photochemical electron delivery from nanocrystals to MoFe protein is able to support the multielectron ammonia production reaction. In this study, low photon flux conditions were used to identify the initial reaction intermediates of CdS quantum dot (QD):MoFe protein nitrogenase complexes under photochemical activation using EPR. Illumination of CdS QD:MoFe protein complexes led to redox changes in the MoFe protein active site FeMo-co observed as the gradual decline in the E0 resting state intensity that was accompanied by an increase in the intensity of a new "geff = 4.5" EPR signal. The magnetic properties of the geff = 4.5 signal support assignment as a reduced S = 3/2 state, and reaction modeling was used to define it as a two-electron-reduced "E2" intermediate. Use of a MoFe protein variant, ß-188Cys, which poises the P cluster in the oxidized P+ state, demonstrated that the P cluster can function as a site of photoexcited electron delivery from CdS to MoFe protein. Overall, the results establish the initial steps for how photoexcited CdS delivers electrons into the MoFe protein during reduction of N2 to ammonia and the role of electron flux in the photochemical reaction cycle.

Biosynthesized Quantum Dot for Facile and Ultrasensitive Electrochemical and Electrochemiluminescence Immunoassay.

Nanomaterials are commonly utilized for amplified immunoassay of biomarkers. However, traditional nanomaterial-based immunoassay usually requires a time-consuming and labor-intensive nanoparticle modification and conjugation process, which impedes their practical applications. Here, a new immunoassay method based on biosynthesized nanomaterials is developed with versatile functions for facile and ultrasensitive detection of cancer biomarker. In this method, the utilized biosynthesized quantum dots (BQDs) allow convenient antibody conjugation and electrode modification, and demonstrate excellent electrochemical and electrochemiluminescent responses. The differential pulse voltammetric, faradaic impedance spectroscopy, and electrochemiluminescent measurements with the BQD-modified electrode show detection limits at picomolar levels as well as good specificity toward human prostate-specific antigen detection. The inherent recognization capability as well as the inherent electrochemical and electrochemiluminescence features thus enable BQDs as good candidates for facile immunosensors with high sensitivity. Such a biosynthesized nanomaterial-based approach opens up the possibility of using innovative designs for nanoparticle-based assays, and developing reliable and practical methods for early disease diagnosis.

Intratumoral Glutathione Activatable Nanoprobes for Fluorescence and 19F Magnetic Resonance Turn-On Imaging.

Tumor microenvironment turn-on nanoprobes that could specifically detect the occurrence of diseases possess great potential in early diagnosis. Here, a GSH activated nanoprobe was designed for fluorescence and 19F magnetic resonance (MR) dual-modal turn-on imaging of tumors. Specifically, fluorescence AgInS2 quantum dots (QDs for fluorescence imaging) were co-encapsulated with perfluoro-15-crown-5-ether (P19FCE for19F MRI) by amphiphilic polymers and further coated with in situ formed manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanoshells, which served as efficient fluorescence and 19F MR quenchers due to energy transfer and paramagnetic relaxation effects, respectively. The over-expressed GSH in tumors would decompose the MnO2 nanoshells, resulting in remarkable enhancement of both fluorescence and 19F MRI signals of the nanoprobes, accordingly lighting up the tumor site.

Dextran-Functionalized Semiconductor Quantum Dot Bioconjugates for Bioanalysis and Imaging.

The prerequisites for maximizing the advantageous optical properties of colloidal semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) in biological applications are effective surface functionalization and bioconjugation strategies. Functionalization with dextran has been highly successful with some nanoparticle materials, but has had very limited application with QDs. Here, we report the preparation, characterization, and proof-of-concept applications of dextran-functionalized QDs. Multiple approaches to dextran ligands were evaluated, including performance with respect to colloidal stability across a range of pH, nonspecific binding with proteins and cells, and microinjection into cells and viability assays. Multiple bioconjugation strategies were demonstrated and applied, including covalent coupling to develop a simple pH sensor, binding of polyhistidine-tagged peptides to the QD for energy transfer-based proteolytic activity assays, and binding with tetrameric antibody complexes (TACs) to enable a sandwich immunoassay and cell immunolabeling and imaging. Our results show that dextran ligands are highly promising for the functionalization of QDs, and that the design of the ligands is tailorable to help optimally meet the requirements of applications.

Inhibitory synaptic transmission tuned by Ca2+ and glutamate through the control of GABAA R lateral diffusion dynamics.

The GABAergic synapses, a primary inhibitory synapse in the mammalian brain, is important for the normal development of brain circuits, and for the regulation of the excitation-inhibition balance critical for brain function from the developmental stage throughout life. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the formation, maintenance, and modulation of GABAergic synapses is less understood compared to that of excitatory synapses. Quantum dot-single particle tracking (QD-SPT), a super-resolution imaging technique that enables the analysis of membrane molecule dynamics at single-molecule resolution, is a powerful tool to analyze the behavior of proteins and lipids on the plasma membrane. In this review, we summarize the recent application of QD-SPT in understanding of GABAergic synaptic transmission. Here we introduce QD-SPT experiments that provide further insights into the molecular mechanism supporting GABAergic synapses. QD-SPT studies revealed that glutamate and Ca2+ signaling is involved in (a) the maintenance of GABAergic synapses, (b) GABAergic long-term depression, and GABAergic long-term potentiation, by specifically activating signaling pathways unique to each phenomenon. We also introduce a novel Ca2+ imaging technique to describe the diversity of Ca2+ signals that may activate the downstream signaling pathways that induce specific biological output.

Biotechnological applications of nanostructured hybrids of polyamine carbon quantum dots and iron oxide nanoparticles.

The combination of different nanomaterials has been investigated during the past few decades and represents an exciting challenge for the unexpected emerging properties of the resulting nano-hybrids. Spermidine (Spd), a biogenic polyamine, has emerged as a useful functional monomer for the development of carbon quantum dots (CQDs). Herein, an electrostatically stabilized ternary hybrid, constituted of iron oxide-DNA (the core) and spermidine carbon quantum dots (CQDSpds, the shell), was self-assembled and fully characterized. The as-obtained nano-hybrid was tested on HeLa cells to evaluate its biocompatibility as well as cellular uptake. Most importantly, besides being endowed by the magnetic features of the core, it displayed drastically enhanced fluorescence properties in comparison with parent CQDSpds and it is efficiently internalized by HeLa cells. This novel ternary nano-hybrid with multifaceted properties, ranging from fluorescence to superparamagnetism, represents an interesting option for cell tracking.

Switchable Fluorophores for Single-Molecule Localization Microscopy.

The past decade has witnessed an explosion in the use of super-resolution fluorescence microscopy methods in biology and other fields. Single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) is one of the most widespread of these methods and owes its success in large part to the ability to control the on-off state of fluorophores through various chemical, photochemical, or binding-unbinding mechanisms. We provide here a comprehensive overview of switchable fluorophores in SMLM including a detailed review of all major classes of SMLM fluorophores, and we also address strategies for labeling specimens, considerations for multichannel and live-cell imaging, potential pitfalls, and areas for future development.

Evaluation of the biocompatibility of the GSH-coated Ag2S quantum dots in vitro: a perfect example for the non-toxic optical probes.

Near-infrared quantum dots (NIR QDs) are promising candidate for the fluorescent probes due to their better penetration depth, long-lived luminescence with size-tunable photoluminescence wavelengths. Glutathione-coated silver sulfide quantum dots (GSH-Ag2S QDs) were synthesized using AgNO3 and Na2S in the aqueous media and they can give reaction with glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione-s transferase (GST) enzymes as acting substrate analogue in vitro. Investigation of the toxicity of the nanomaterials are necessary to use them in the medical field and biomedical applications. Thus, in this study we investigated biocompatibility of the GSH-Ag2S QDs in vitro using 293 T and CFPAC-1 cell lines. Cell viability by MTT assay, light microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, oxidative stress enzyme activities and ICP-MS analysis were performed to evaluate the cytotoxicity and internalization of the GSH-Ag2S QDs. GSH-Ag2S QDs showed great biocompatibility with both cell lines and did not cause imbalance in the oxidative stress metabolism. The ultralow solubility product constant of Ag2S QDs (Ksp = 6.3 × 10-50) prevents release of Ag ions into the biological systems that is in agreement with data obtained by ICP-MS. In conclusion, this data prove potential of GSH-Ag2S QDs as a biocompatible optical probe to be used for the detection and/or targeting of GSH impaired diseases including cancer.