Monitoring the Intracellular Distribution and ROS Scavenging Potential of Carbon Dot–Cerium Oxide Nanocomposites in Fibroblast Cells

Abstract

In the present work, cerium oxide (CeO2)-based nanocomposites integrating fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) were synthesized by a hydrothermal method. The formation and cellular uptake of these nanocomposites was studied by various analytical techniques. The therapeutic and imaging aspects of CDs-CeO2 nanocomposites were validated using NIH3T3 fibroblast cells as a model system. The antioxidant potency of CDs-CeO2 nanocomposites was also evaluated in cells treated with H2O2, a major reactive oxygen species (ROS) species, using a 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFH-DA) assay. Tracking the intracellular fluorescence of CDs-CeO2 nanocomposites by microscopy and flow cytometry made it possible to examine the capabilities of CeO2 for abatement of H2O2-mediated oxidative stress. Taken together, the present study motivates the use of therapeutic nanocomposites whilst monitoring their uptake, which holds clinical relevance for ROS-related diseases.