ReviewPharmaceutics2025
Advancements in Targeted Quantum Dots Structures for Enhanced Cancer Treatment.
Review in Pharmaceutics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Quantum dots (QDs) have emerged as promising nanomaterials in cancer therapeutics owing to their tunable optical properties, versatile surface functionalization, and potential for simultaneous imaging and drug delivery. This review focuses on targeted quantum dots (TQDs), highlighting their role in overcoming the limitations of passive drug delivery strategies, such as poor specificity, high systemic toxicity, and limited therapeutic efficacy. We begin by outlining the fundamentals of QDs, including their types, heterostructures, and biomedical formulations. Recent advances in tailoring QD physicochemical properties to the cancer microenvironment are discussed, with emphasis on routes of administration and targeting strategies. The review critically examines different molecular targeting approaches-such as folate receptors, transferrin receptors, aptamers, antibodies, peptides, and hyaluronic acid-used to enhance therapeutic precision. Furthermore, we summarize progress in TQD-based combination therapies, including chemotherapy-photodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy, radiotherapy, and multimodal platforms that integrate therapy with imaging. Special attention is given to the role of QDs in theranostic, hydrogels, nanocomposites, and hybrid systems that enable controlled drug release and real-time monitoring. Despite significant advancements, challenges remain regarding biocompatibility, safety, and regulatory approval. Overall, this review provides an integrative perspective on the design, functionalization, and biomedical applications of TQDs, underscoring their potential to improve cancer treatment outcomes through enhanced specificity, reduced side effects, and multifunctional theranostic capabilities. Highlight of novelty: This review uniquely emphasizes the latest advances in targeted quantum dots (TQDs), particularly in surface functionalization, hybrid nanostructures, biodistribution, and multimodal theranostic applications, providing an updated perspective that extends beyond conventional QD-based cancer therapies.
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Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.