Bioconjugation of luminescent silicon quantum dots for selective uptake by cancer cells

Conventional quantum dots have great potential in cancer-related imaging and diagnostic applications; however, these applications are limited by concerns about the inherent toxicity of their core materials (e.g., cadmium, lead). Virtually all imaging applications require conjugation of the imaging agent to a biologically active molecule to achieve selective uptake or binding. Here, we report a study of biocompatible silicon quantum dots covalently attached to biomolecules including lysine, folate, antimesothelin, and transferrin. The particles possess desirable physical properties, surface chemistry, and optical properties. Folate- and antimesothelin-conjugated silicon quantum dots show selective uptake into Panc-1 cells. This study contributes to the preclinical evaluation of silicon quantum dots and further demonstrates their potential as an imaging agent for cancer applications.