Protease-activated quantum dot probes based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer

A novel sensing system based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between CdTe quantum dots (QDs) and Rhodamine B (RB) was established for the detection of matrix metalloproteinases (MMOL/LPs). In this system, 535-nm-emitting quantum dots (QDs) were bound to Rhodamine B (RB) via a MMOL/LP-specific peptide. A 76% reduction in luminescence was achieved because of FRET. Release of RBs by peptide cleavage restores radiative QD photoluminescence. Initial studies observed a 73% rise in luminescence over 60 min. The design platform of the nanosensor is flexible and can be fine-tuned for a wide array of applications such as the detection of biomarkers, early diagnosis of disease, and monitoring therapeutic efficacy simply by changing the sequence of the peptide linker.