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Folic acid targeted Mn:ZnS quantum dots for theranostic applications of cancer cell imaging and therapy

Overview of attention for article published in International Journal of Nanomedicine, January 2016
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Title
Folic acid targeted Mn:ZnS quantum dots for theranostic applications of cancer cell imaging and therapy
Published in
International Journal of Nanomedicine, January 2016
DOI 10.2147/ijn.s90198
Pubmed ID
Authors

Ibrahim Birma Bwatanglang, Faruq Mohammad, Nor Azah Yusof, Jaafar Abdullah, Mohd Zobir Hussein, Noorjahan Banu Alitheen, Nadiah Abu

Abstract

In this study, we synthesized a multifunctional nanoparticulate system with specific targeting, imaging, and drug delivering functionalities by following a three-step protocol that operates at room temperature and solely in aqueous media. The synthesis involves the encapsulation of luminescent Mn:ZnS quantum dots (QDs) with chitosan not only as a stabilizer in biological environment, but also to further provide active binding sites for the conjugation of other biomolecules. Folic acid was incorporated as targeting agent for the specific targeting of the nanocarrier toward the cells overexpressing folate receptors. Thus, the formed composite emits orange-red fluorescence around 600 nm and investigated to the highest intensity at Mn(2+) doping concentration of 15 at.% and relatively more stable at low acidic and low alkaline pH levels. The structural characteristics and optical properties were thoroughly analyzed by using Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering, ultraviolet-visible, and fluorescence spectroscopy. Further characterization was conducted using thermogravimetric analysis, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The cell viability and proliferation studies by means of MTT assay have demonstrated that the as-synthesized composites do not exhibit any toxicity toward the human breast cell line MCF-10 (noncancer) and the breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) up to a 500 µg/mL concentration. The cellular uptake of the nanocomposites was assayed by confocal laser scanning microscope by taking advantage of the conjugated Mn:ZnS QDs as fluorescence makers. The result showed that the functionalization of the chitosan-encapsulated QDs with folic acid enhanced the internalization and binding affinity of the nanocarrier toward folate receptor-overexpressed cells. Therefore, we hypothesized that due to the nontoxic nature of the composite, the as-synthesized nanoparticulate system can be used as a promising candidate for theranostic applications, especially for a simultaneous targeted drug delivery and cellular imaging.

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Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 120 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Unknown 120 100%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Researcher 25 21%
Student > Master 18 15%
Student > Ph. D. Student 16 13%
Student > Doctoral Student 9 8%
Student > Bachelor 9 8%
Other 20 17%
Unknown 23 19%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Chemistry 23 19%
Materials Science 11 9%
Medicine and Dentistry 11 9%
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science 11 9%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 9 8%
Other 28 23%
Unknown 27 23%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 3. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 10 February 2016.
All research outputs
#14,914,476
of 25,374,647 outputs
Outputs from International Journal of Nanomedicine
#1,586
of 4,123 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#197,833
of 399,679 outputs
Outputs of similar age from International Journal of Nanomedicine
#25
of 78 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 25,374,647 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 40th percentile – i.e., 40% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 4,123 research outputs from this source. They receive a mean Attention Score of 4.7. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 59% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 399,679 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one is in the 49th percentile – i.e., 49% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
We're also able to compare this research output to 78 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 64% of its contemporaries.