2. Academic Validation
  3. Incubation of brain organoids with fluorescent carbon nanodots

Incubation of brain organoids with fluorescent carbon nanodots

  • RSC Adv. 2026 Apr 8;16(21):18745-18756. doi: 10.1039/d6ra01285j.
Carla Sprengel 1,  Ute Fischer 2 3 4,  Arndt Borkhardt 2 3 4,  Rainer Haas 5,  Thomas Heinzel 1
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Condensed Matter Physics Laboratory, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf Germany [email protected].
  • 2 Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf Germany.
  • 3 German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Essen/Düsseldorf Düsseldorf Germany.
  • 4 Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf (CIO ABCD) Germany.
  • 5 Department of Haematology, Oncology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf Germany.
PMID: 41959546 DOI: 10.1039/d6ra01285j
Abstract

Brain organoids are exposed during their growth to fluorescent carbon nanodots (CNDs). We observe that the CNDs penetrate through the whole Organoid in all maturation stages and are taken up by viable cells irrespective of their type and location, most likely by endocytosis. They remain inside the cells after enzymatic dissociation of the organoids. No influence of the CNDs on the organoids' viability after 48 h exposure during the first 15 weeks could be detected. Our results suggest that CNDs are interesting candidates for multifunctional fluorescent labeling in Organoid Research and development, such as structural imaging or drug screening.

Figures
Products