碳量子点是由碳原子通过排列组合形成的一类粒径小于10nm,自带荧光的纳米材料,可透过细胞膜进入细胞。碳量子点表面有诸多功能基团及化学键,赋予其良好的理化性能和生物相容性;其具备低毒性甚至无毒性,不会对细胞产生明显杀伤作用。利用碳量子点此类优越性能,可用于细胞生物成像。碳量子点与某些离子、分子之间可形成化学键或静电吸附,结合外源物质后其荧光强度发生变化,从而起到荧光探针的作用,用以检测外源物质的含量。碳量子点还可与各种药物结合,作为药物载体进入细胞释放药物,达到治疗疾病的目的。结合碳量子点的这些特点,可应用于口腔医学领域的研究,探索其对口腔组织各种细胞增殖、分化、凋亡、迁移等的影响;对牙科材料、药物成分进行检测;与化疗药物结合形成载药复合体,应用于口腔癌的治疗。本文将就碳量子点在口腔医学领域的潜在应用作以综述。
Carbon quantum dots (QDs) are formed by the arrangement of carbon atoms, with a particle diameter of less than 10 nm. CDs display dependent photoluminescence (PL) behavior and can be taken into cells through cytomembrane. There are multiple functional groups and bands on the surface of CDs, which make CDs obtain the excellent physicochemical properties and biocompatibility. CDs show low cytotoxicity and even nontoxicity, exhibiting superior biosecurity. The remarkable characteristics of CDs can be applied in bioimaging. The molecule, ion and other elements can be conjugated to CDs through electrostatic interaction due to the multiple functional groups on the surface of CDs, which would change the PL of CDs. Utilizing this changing progress, CDs show as a probe to detect the content of these substances. What' s more, CDs combine with drugs as a drug delivery system for disease therapy. According to the properties of CDs, researchers can study the impact of this nanomaterial to cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and migration in oral tissues; detect the component of dental materials and agents; combine chemotherapeutics as drug delivery complexes for oral carcinoma therapy. In this paper, we will discuss the potential application of CDs in the field of stomotology on review.