Quantum Dots for Assessment of ROS Accumulation During Chemotherapy, Radiotherapy, and Chemoradiotherapy.

Quantum dots (QDs) are semiconductor nanoparticles ranging in size from 2 to 10 nm. QDs are increasingly being developed for biomedical imaging, targeted drug delivery, and green energy technology. Here, we describe the novel utilization of biocompatible (CdSe)/ZnS core/shell semiconductor nanoparticles for assessment of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the context of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, both of which are important modalities in the treatment of cancer. Computational simulations done using COMSOL Multiphysics confirm some of the properties of the QDs used in the described experiments.