Interaction of Carbon Dots with Endothelial Cells: Implications for Biomedical Applications

The in vivo use of carbon dots (CDs) in biomedical applications might result in its interaction with the endothelial cells (ECs) lining the blood vessels. It is important to assess its response to CDs because the cells play a key role in the regulation of blood vessel function. Using a widely studied CD synthesized from a combination of citric acid and urea (CD-urea), we herein report the response of ECs to its exposure. The biocompatible CD-urea exhibited a proangiogenic response in human vein ECs. The cascade of events in the ECs following CD-urea uptake, including its influence on reactive oxygen species (ROS), nuclear factor κ-light-chain enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), and gene expression, was investigated comprehensively using confocal and quantitative polymerase chain reaction studies. While new blood vessel formation is favored in wound healing, it is not recommended in tumor growth and metastasis. Our study demonstrates the need for evaluating the response of ECs to CDs before exploiting its potential in vivo application.