ABSTRACT
Pb-toxicity is associated with inflammation which leads to delay in wound healing. Pb2+ utilizes calcium ion channels to enter the cell. Therefore, to achieve effective healing in a Pb-poisoned system, capturing Pb2+ from the circulatory system would be an effective approach without hampering the activity of the calcium ion channel. In this work insulin-nickel fluorescent quantum clusters (INiQCs) have been synthesized and used for the specific detection of Pb2+ ions in vitro and in cell-free systems. INiQCs (0.09 μM) can detect Pb2+ concentrations as low as 10 pM effectively in a cell-free system using the fluorescence turn-off method. In vitro INiQCs (0.45 μM) can detect Pb2+ concentrations as low as 1 μM. INiQCs also promote wound healing which can easily be monitored using the bright fluorescence of INiQCs. INiQCs also help to overcome the wound recovery inhibitory effect of Pb2+in vitro using lead nitrate. This work helps to generate effective biocompatible therapeutics for wound recovery in Pb2+ poisoned individuals.
PMID:35481039 | PMC:PMC9036906 | DOI:10.1039/d1ra03597e
