Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 7, 2026
07:40
Gene Transfection toward Spheroid Cells on Micropatterned Culture Plates for Genetically-modified Cell Transplantation
Published on: July 31, 2015
9.1K
Gold Nanoparticles-Enhanced Gene Transfer Driven by MHz-Frequency Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields
Veronika Malyško-Ptašinskė1,2, Eivina Radzevičiūtė-Valčiukė1,2, Anna Szewczyk2,3
1Faculty of Electronics, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, LT-10223 Vilnius, Lithuania.
Biomolecules
|December 30, 2025
Summary
This study demonstrates successful gene delivery using short 100 ns pulses and conductive gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with electroporation. AuNPs significantly enhanced gene transfer efficiency in cancer cells, showing promise for future clinical applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Molecular Biology
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Electroporation is a non-viral gene delivery method.
- Conductive nanoparticles (NPs) can enhance electroporation efficacy via local field amplification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate gene delivery using ultrashort pulses (100-300 ns) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs).
- To assess the efficacy of AuNPs in enhancing gene transfer in a murine breast cancer cell line (4T1).
Main Methods:
- Utilized 100 ns and 300 ns pulsed electric fields (PEFs) in bursts.
- Employed 13 nm gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to enhance electrotransfection.
- Tested gene delivery of a 4.7 kbp plasmid (p-EGFP-N1) in 4T1 cells.
Main Results:
- Achieved successful gene delivery with 100 ns pulses, previously considered impossible.
- Sub-microsecond pulses (300 ns) were more effective than 100 ns pulses, but both enabled gene transfer (>10% efficacy).
- AuNPs increased electrotransfection efficacy several-fold for both ultrashort and microsecond pulse protocols.
Conclusions:
- Ultrashort pulses, particularly 300 ns, are effective for gene delivery.
- Conductive nanoparticles, like AuNPs, significantly enhance electroporation-mediated gene transfer.
- This approach holds high potential for translational and clinical gene therapy research.
