Advancing Cancer Therapy with Quantum Dots and Other Nanostructures: A Review of Drug Delivery Innovations, Applications, and Challenges

Nanotechnology, particularly quantum dots (QDs), has ushered in a transformative era in the pharmaceutical and medical industries, offering notable opportunities for nanoscale advancements. These nanoscale particles, known for their exceptional optical properties and quantum confinement, have emerged as indispensable tools in cancer drug delivery and bioimaging. This review delves into various drug conjugation techniques with QDs, including covalent linking, non-covalent conjugation, click chemistry, disulfide linkage, and pH-sensitive linkage. Each method provides distinct advantages, such as enhanced stability, reversibility, specificity, and controlled drug release. Moreover, QDs have demonstrated…