A research team at Osaka Public University has succeeded in constructing a new technology that efficiently introduces biofunctional molecules into target cells by light-induced acceleration.
Conventional intracellular delivery processes require high concentrations of biofunctional molecules due to the low efficiency of cell membrane permeation, and despite this, low drug activity in specific targeted cells is a problem. ing.In addition, due to the poor cell selectivity of the prior art, functional molecules that are useful for cancer therapy, for example, are accompanied by damage not only to cancer cells but also to normal cells.In order to avoid such side effects as well, there has been a strong demand for the development of technology that enables selective administration of low-concentration drugs only to target cells.
This time, the research team succeeded in developing a technology for effectively delivering functional molecules to target cells by applying light-induced acceleration for intracellular introduction.An infrared laser that does not damage the living body is focused for 100 seconds to generate convection (light-induced convection) due to the photothermal effect, and this is used to transport and accumulate functional molecules in the target cells.It is said that light-induced acceleration enables very efficient and selective uptake into cells, demonstrating that useful molecules can be concentrated and introduced at a concentration as low as 100/1000 to 1 of the conventional concentration.
In experiments, we succeeded in selectively introducing staining reagents under low-concentration conditions and, furthermore, inducing apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells using low-concentration anticancer peptides.In other words, by using this technology, it is possible to concentrate and introduce a cell-death-causing drug into the target pathogenic cells at an extremely low concentration and selectively destroy them.
The results of this research are expected to reduce development costs by reducing side effects when introducing drugs into cells and significantly reducing the amount of drugs used in cell testing of new drugs. expected to become
Paper information:[Nano Letters]Light-induced condensation of biofunctional molecules around targeted living cells to accelerate cytosolic delivery
