Bioconjugated nanoparticles
The present disclosure relates to compositions and methods for the treatment of a disease, e.g., cancer or pathogenic infection, using a bioconjugated nanoparticle comprising a biocompatible quantum dot conjugated to a targeting moiety. The targeting moiety allows for the nanopaticle to bind to a cancer cell or pathogenic organism. The quantum dot, upon excitation by soft x-rays, emits electromagnetic radiation at a frequency of ultraviolet light, thereby allowing for the disruption of the DNA found in the cancer cell or pathogenic organism.
1. A method comprising the steps of:
administering an effective amount of electromagnetic radiation to a biocompatible quantum dot conjugated to a targeting moiety specific for a predictive marker of a target cell or a pathogenic organism;
wherein said electromagnetic radiation is soft x-rays from an external device having a wavelength in the range of 0.1 nm to 100 nm that interacts with the quantum dot thereby emitting light at an ultraviolet wavelength; and
inducing DNA damage or cellular membrane disruption to the target cell or the pathogenic organism from the emitted light at the ultraviolet wavelength.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said soft x-rays have a wavelength in the range of 1 nm to 15 nm.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said emitted ultraviolet light has a wavelength in the range of 100 nm to 260 nm.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said quantum dot comprises a and gap between 3 and 6.5 eV.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said quantum dot is selected from the group consisting of gallium nitride, gallium arsenide, zinc oxide, aluminum nitride, boron nitride and diamond.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said quantum dot is coated with a biocompatible material selected from the group consisting of a lipid, a carbohydrate, a polysaccharide, a protein, a polymer, a glycoprotein, and a glycolipid.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a linker, wherein said linker attaches said targeting moiety to said quantum dot.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said targeting moiety is specific for a marker of said disease of the target cell.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said targeting moiety is selected from the group consisting of an antibody or fragments thereof, haptens, polypeptides, oligonucleotides, anti-sense RNA, Peptide Nucleic Acids, proteins, chimeric proteins, fusion proteins, and combinations thereof.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to the administrating the effective amount of radiation step, the steps of
culturing a disease sample in vitro;
determining the expression of a predictive marker of the disease;
providing the targeting moiety specific for said predictive marker;
attaching said targeting moiety to the quantum dot to form a bioconjugated nanoparticle; and then
administering said bioconjugated nanoparticle to a subject having or inflicted with the disease.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said disease is a cancer or a pathogenic infection.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein said soft x-rays have a wavelength in the range of 1 nm to 15 nm.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein said emitted ultraviolet light has a wavelength in the range of 100 nm to 260 nm.
14. A method comprising the steps of
introducing soft x-ray electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength between 0.1 nm and 100 nm from an external device to a biocompatible quantum dot conjugated to a targeting moiety of a target cell or a pathogenic organism; wherein the introducing of the soft x-ray electromagnetic radiation causes an emitting of light from the quantum dot at an ultraviolet wavelength in the range of 100 nm to 260 nm; and
inducing DNA damage within the target cell or the pathogenic organism and/or disrupting the cellular membrane associated with the target cell or the pathogenic organism.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said targeting moiety is linked to said quantum dot via a covalent bond.
16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising, prior to step (b), the step of administering to a subject in need thereof, an effective amount of the biocompatible quantum dot conjugated to the targeting moiety.