Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 25, 2025
11:53
Predicting Gene Silencing Through the Spatiotemporal Control of siRNA Release from Photo-responsive Polymeric Nanocarriers
Published on: July 21, 2017
7.7K
Novel Platform for Surface-Mediated Gene Delivery Assisted with Visible-Light Illumination
Lili Yao1, Wenjian Weng1, Kui Cheng1
1School of Materials Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, Cyrus Tang Center for Sensor Materials and Applications, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|March 27, 2020
Summary
A new silicon-based platform uses visible light to enhance surface-mediated gene delivery, significantly improving gene expression efficiency for biomedical applications with low toxicity.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
- Gene Therapy
Background:
- Surface-mediated gene delivery offers low toxicity and localized delivery advantages.
- Controlling gene delivery efficiency remains a challenge in biomedical research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel visible-light-regulated platform for surface-mediated gene delivery.
- To investigate the role of photoinduced surface-charge accumulation on silicon in gene delivery.
Main Methods:
- Utilized silicon with a pn junction for surface-mediated gene delivery experiments.
- Applied visible-light illumination to induce surface-charge accumulation.
- Quantified gene-expression efficiency before and after light treatment.
Main Results:
- Visible-light illumination led to positive-charge accumulation on silicon surfaces.
- This charge accumulation altered surface potential, facilitating gene-loaded carrier delivery.
- Gene-expression efficiency increased from 6% to 28% after 10 minutes of light exposure.
Conclusions:
- Visible-light-induced surface-charge accumulation on silicon enhances gene delivery.
- The photovoltaic effect of silicon provides a new strategy for surface-mediated gene delivery.
- This approach shows promise for advancing biomedical research and applications in gene therapy.
Related Concept Videos
00:59Gene Therapy
27.2K
Gene therapy is a technique where a gene is inserted into a person’s cells to prevent or treat a serious disease. The added gene may be a healthy version of the gene that is mutated in the patient, or it could be a different gene that inactivates or compensates for the patient’s disease-causing gene. For example, in patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) due to a mutation in the gene for the enzyme adenosine deaminase, a functioning version of the gene can be...
27.2K
01:14Photoluminescence: Applications
922
Photoluminescence offers a wide range of applications due to its inherent sensitivity and selectivity. This technique allows for both direct and indirect analyses of the analyte. Direct quantitative analysis is possible when the analyte exhibits a favorable quantum yield for fluorescence or phosphorescence. However, an indirect analysis may be feasible if the analyte is not fluorescent or phosphorescent, or if the quantum yield is unfavorable. Indirect methods include reacting the analyte with...
922