Testing the effectiveness of new pharmaceuticals may get faster thanks to  a new technique using quantum dots developed at the University of Central Florida.

The researchers have created a probe using electronic quantum dots (Qdots)  that “lights up” when a drug it is delivering attaches to cancer cells.

The researchers used a superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle core decorated with satellite Qdots that carry the cancer-fighting agent STAT3 inhibitor. The Qdot optical signal turns on when the probe bonds with the cancer cells.

A researcher can use a microscope to see where and how much of the drug has been delivered because the probe emits a reddish color under special lighting or from MRI stimulation. Researchers can then measure the size of the tumor and number of cancer cells that “light up” compared with the original untreated tumor.

This provides a way to quickly determine whether the drug is doing what it is supposed to be doing in the targeted areas. The technique is much easier than the current process of removing treated cancer tumors and weighing them at regular intervals to determine the drug’s efficiency in an animal. Also, some drug testing can take a decade or more.

“The potential applications for drug testing specifically for cancer research are immediate,” Santra said.

Ref.:  S. Banerjee, S. Kar, J.M. Perez and S. Santra, Quantum dot-based OFF/ON probe for detection of glutathione, J Phys Chem C,  2009; [DOI: 10.1021/jp9019574]

Ref.: S. Banerjee, S. Kar, and S. Santra, A simple strategy for quantum dot assisted selective detection of cadmium ions, Chem Commun (Camb), 2008; [DOI: 10.1039/B803166E]