Engineering Antibody Fragment with the Quantum Dot in Cancer Cell Imaging and Diagnosis

Lizhi Liu, Weiming Xu

Krebs Institute, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Firth Court, Sheffield, UK.

DOI: 10.4236/eng.2012.410B033                

Abstract

The conjugates of monoclonal antibodies and nanoparticles, including quantum-dot(QD), offer significant advantages over conventional fluorescent probes to image and study biological processes. The extend stability, intense fluorescence and low toxicity of QDs are well suited for biological applications. In the present study, we used QD-conjugated anti-glucose-regulated protein 78(GRP78) antibody to examine the gene expression in prostate cancer cells under the unfolded protein response (UPR). QDs have got unique, simple and fast properties over current diagnostic techniques such as peroxidase-based immunohistochemical staining procedures, therefore the nanocarrier-conjugated antibody fragment has potential to become a new therapeutic tool for cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Keywords

Quantum Dot; Antibody Fragment; Prostate Cancer; GRP78; scFv; UPR; Immunohistochemistry

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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