All-optical strategy for high-speed and subcellular precision drug delivery using Airy beams

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Optical Physics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• All-optical drug delivery offers precise control but faces limitations in speed and stability.
• Existing methods using gradient or scattering forces are insufficient for high-speed, sustained propulsion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel all-optical drug delivery strategy using Airy beams.
• To achieve high-speed and subcellular-precision drug delivery.
• To enhance anticancer drug efficacy through improved delivery.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Airy beams for all-optical drug carrier propulsion.
• Synergistically regulated gradient and scattering forces for controlled movement.
• Employed a custom axial imaging module for quantitative measurements.
• Applied the strategy for targeted delivery of anticancer drugs to tumor cells.

Main Results:

• Achieved propulsion speeds exceeding 400 µm/s, a 7-fold enhancement over conventional methods.
• Maintained subcellular delivery precision of approximately 1 µm during high-speed propulsion.
• Demonstrated enhanced stable adhesion of drug carriers to cell membranes.
• Showcased accelerated tumor cell apoptosis due to improved drug uptake.

Conclusions:

• Airy beams provide a powerful platform for high-performance all-optical drug delivery.
• This strategy overcomes speed and stability limitations of previous all-optical methods.
• The technique shows significant potential for personalized medicine and biopharmaceutical applications.