Carbon Quantum Dots Assisted Virus Tracking: From Skin to Brain.

ABSTRACT: Incurable infection by herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) can cause severe encephalitis and neurodegenerative diseases, e.g., Alzheimer's disease (AD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. How HSV-1 reaches the brain from the initial infection site remains inconclusive. Here, an innovative approach combining carbon quantum dots (CQDs) with dissolving microneedles (dMN) for real-time tracking of HSV-1 from skin to brain is presented. Upon application, CQDs-HSV-1 is released from the dMN through the swelling of interstitial fluid (ISF) in skin and subsequently monitored by living imaging. Remarkably, it is observed that HSV-1 preferentially infects peripheral skin nerves, almost all viruses directly enter to brain via the spinal cord within 10-30 min, while few viruses enter the brain through the b

SUBMITTER: Feng Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12848641 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature