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Functionalized Spiky Particles for Intracellular Biomolecular Delivery
Hui-Jiuan Chen1, Tian Hang1, Chengduan Yang1
1The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University; State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Electronics and Information Technology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
ACS Central Science
|July 3, 2019
Summary
Researchers developed novel "spiky particles" for direct intracellular biomolecule delivery, bypassing cellular degradation pathways. These particles enable efficient delivery of siRNA and DNA into the cytosol, overcoming limitations of previous methods.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology and Nanomedicine
- Cellular and Molecular Biology
Background:
- Intracellular delivery of biomolecules is crucial but challenging, often relying on endosomal pathways.
- Vertical nanowires offer direct cytoplasmic entry but are limited to 2D substrates and in vitro use.
- Existing microparticle delivery systems face limitations in achieving direct cytosolic access.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a solution-based delivery vehicle for direct intracellular biomolecule transport.
- To overcome the limitations of planar nanowire delivery systems.
- To enable efficient delivery of nucleic acids bypassing endosomal degradation.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of polyethylenimine-functionalized titanium dioxide (TiO2) microparticles with nanospikes ('spiky particles') via hydrothermal routes.
- Assessment of spiky particle biocompatibility with HeLa, RAW, and 3T3-L1 cell lines.
- Evaluation of direct cytosolic delivery of fluorescent siRNA, functional siRNA for gene knockdown, and DNA plasmid transfection.
Main Results:
- Spiky particles demonstrated biocompatibility with multiple cell types.
- Polyethylenimine-functionalized spiky particles successfully delivered fluorescent siRNA into the cytosol.
- Functional siRNA mediated gene knockdown, and DNA plasmid transfection was achieved, outperforming non-spiky microparticles.
Conclusions:
- Spiky particles serve as a novel, direct cell membrane penetrant vehicle for intracellular delivery.
- This approach enables biomolecules to bypass conventional endocytic degradation, enhancing delivery efficiency.
- Spiky particles represent a promising platform for advanced intracellular delivery applications.
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