Recent advances in fluorescence nanoparticles "quantum dots" as gene delivery system: A review

Biomaterial scientists have recently focused their attention on evaluating various aspects of delivering genetic materials into cells to induce a cellular response. The process involves complexing negatively charged plasmids, followed by delivering the resulting package into cells, a process facilitated by lipids, peptides, viruses, synthetically modified cationic polymers, and specific inorganic nanomaterials. In the context of gene delivery for specific imaging in biological and biomedical applications, fluorescence nanocrystals or quantum dots (QDs) present promising candidates as engineered nanoparticles (NPs). This literature review study aims to investigate the potential of QDs as a novel tool for gene delivery to retinal cells. The proficiency of QDs in this context arises from their unique physicochemical characteristics, including optical electronic and catalytic properties, which render them viable options for biosensing imaging, drug delivery, and gene delivery applications. In the field of gene delivery to the retinal cells, factors such as photoluminescence, quantum yield, biocompatibility, size, and shape play crucial roles in the utilization of QDs. In this paper, we discuss the most appropriate credentials and briefly outline the findings, supported by relevant illustrative samples, to explore the delivery of genetic material utilizing QDs.