Carbon Dots for the Treatment of Inflammatory Diseases: An Appraisal of In Vitro and In Vivo Studies

Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2023 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/3076119 · Published: May 25, 2023

Simple Explanation

Inflammation is a biological process that protects the body, but sometimes it can harm tissues. This review discusses how carbon dots (C-dots) can help reduce inflammation in various diseases. C-dots are tiny carbon nanoparticles with unique properties, including being non-toxic and easy to produce. They show promise in treating inflammation-related diseases. Recent studies suggest C-dots can protect against diseases like gout, spinal cord injury, and liver problems by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

Various cell lines and animal models

Evidence Level

Review Article

Key Findings

1
C-dots exhibit anti-inflammatory effects in models of LPS-induced inflammation, gout, spinal cord injury, wound healing, and other diseases.
2
C-dots can lower ROS levels, act as antioxidant enzymes, and modulate inflammatory indicators and signaling pathways like NF-κB.
3
C-dots derived from various sources, including biomass and pharmaceuticals, show promise as anti-inflammatory agents for drug development.

Research Summary

This review highlights the ability of C-dots to function as anti-inflammatory agents targeting inflammation-associated diseases, demonstrating their exceptional potential as nanomedicines. C-dots have demonstrated protective effects by lowering ROS levels, acting as antioxidant enzymes, and modulating inflammatory indicators and signaling pathways, such as NF-κB cell signaling. Future investigations of C-dots targeting other inflammation-induced pathologies and associated signaling pathways should be conducted to further realize their therapeutic potential.

Practical Implications

Drug Development

C-dots show promise as a basis for new anti-inflammatory drugs due to their ability to target inflammation and modulate related pathways.

Therapeutic Applications

C-dots could be used in treating various inflammation-related conditions, including gout, spinal cord injury, liver diseases, and acute lung injury.

Nanomedicine Innovation

C-dots offer a new avenue for nanomedicine, with potential applications in drug delivery, bioimaging, and theranostics due to their unique properties.

Study Limitations

1
Toxicity and fluorescence properties of C-dots are influenced by their size, which may limit their potential use, particularly in vivo.
2
Batch-to-batch reproducibility is an issue; C-dots prepared in various batches frequently exhibit varying results in terms of their size, surface characteristics, and QY.
3
Long-term use of C-dots may harm experimental animals by generating inflammation, liver and kidney damage, and adverse immunological responses.

Your Feedback

Was this summary helpful?

Back to Genetics