Use of Semiconductor Nanocrystals (quantum dots) in Immunocytochemical Studies

• DOI: 10.1007/s11055-011-9489-3
• Publication Date: 2011-10-20T07:36:16Z
• Authors: D. E. Korzhevskii; O. V. Kirik; E. G. Sukhorukova; A. V. Gilyarov
• Keywords: 0303 health sciences; 03 medical and health sciences; 3. Good health

Semiconductor nanocrystals, i.e., quantum dots (QD) are a new and promising (in terms of use in biology and, medicine) class of inorganic fluorescent materials. The aim of the present work was to identify the advantages and disadvantages of QD in immunocytochemical studies. Streptavidin-QD conjugates were found to have a series of advantages over streptavidin conjugates with organic fluorochromes (high fluorescence intensity, photostability, wider range of excitation, narrow and symmetrical emission peak), which allows them to be recommended for use in immunocytochemical studies. However, a number of disadvantages were also identified (lower stability on prolonged storage than conjugates with organic fluorochromes, poor preservation of aliquots of reagent, inability to retain fluorescence in stained specimens on prolonged storage, incompatibility with a number of commercially available media used for embedding specimens), preventing the wide use of nanocrystals in immunocytochemistry.