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Credit: PNAS
Laser technology can help ensure the delivery of drug and gene therapy at the cellular level without damaging surrounding tissue, according to research published in Nature Scientific Reports.
Investigators paired crystalline magnetic carbon nanoparticles and continuous wave near-infrared laser beams in what is called photothermal delivery.
And they used this delivery method to introduce impermeable dyes and small DNA molecules into human cancer cells.
This work grew out of a previous study in which the researchers used a 50 to 100 milliwatt laser and the same carbon nanoparticle, which absorbs the beam, to heat up and destroy cancer cells in the lab.
“In [the current study, we] used a lower-power, 20 to 30 milliwatt, continuous wave near-infrared laser and the nanoparticle to permeate the cell membrane without killing the cells,” said Ali Koymen, PhD, of the University of Texas at Arlington.
“This method stretches the desired cell membrane to allow for delivery and has the added bonus of creating a fluid flow that speeds the movement of what is being delivered.”
The investigators noted that, currently, the predominant practice is using viruses for delivery to cells. Unfortunately, the scope of what can be delivered with viruses is severely limited, and virus interaction can lead to inflammatory responses and other complications.
Researchers looking to create a path into the cell without employing a virus have experimented with using UV-visible light laser beams alone. But that method damages surrounding cells and has a relatively shallow level of effectiveness.
Dr Koymen and his colleagues said a significant advantage of their method is that the near-infrared light absorption of the nanoparticle can be used to selectively amplify the interaction of low-power laser with targeted tissue, and laser-induced damage to non-targeted cells can be avoided.
The magnetic properties of the nanoparticles also mean they can be localized with an external magnetic field. Therefore, a smaller concentration can be used effectively. 
Credit: PNAS
Laser technology can help ensure the delivery of drug and gene therapy at the cellular level without damaging surrounding tissue, according to research published in Nature Scientific Reports.
Investigators paired crystalline magnetic carbon nanoparticles and continuous wave near-infrared laser beams in what is called photothermal delivery.
And they used this delivery method to introduce impermeable dyes and small DNA molecules into human cancer cells.
This work grew out of a previous study in which the researchers used a 50 to 100 milliwatt laser and the same carbon nanoparticle, which absorbs the beam, to heat up and destroy cancer cells in the lab.
“In [the current study, we] used a lower-power, 20 to 30 milliwatt, continuous wave near-infrared laser and the nanoparticle to permeate the cell membrane without killing the cells,” said Ali Koymen, PhD, of the University of Texas at Arlington.
“This method stretches the desired cell membrane to allow for delivery and has the added bonus of creating a fluid flow that speeds the movement of what is being delivered.”
The investigators noted that, currently, the predominant practice is using viruses for delivery to cells. Unfortunately, the scope of what can be delivered with viruses is severely limited, and virus interaction can lead to inflammatory responses and other complications.
Researchers looking to create a path into the cell without employing a virus have experimented with using UV-visible light laser beams alone. But that method damages surrounding cells and has a relatively shallow level of effectiveness.
Dr Koymen and his colleagues said a significant advantage of their method is that the near-infrared light absorption of the nanoparticle can be used to selectively amplify the interaction of low-power laser with targeted tissue, and laser-induced damage to non-targeted cells can be avoided.
The magnetic properties of the nanoparticles also mean they can be localized with an external magnetic field. Therefore, a smaller concentration can be used effectively.
Credit: PNAS
Laser technology can help ensure the delivery of drug and gene therapy at the cellular level without damaging surrounding tissue, according to research published in Nature Scientific Reports.
Investigators paired crystalline magnetic carbon nanoparticles and continuous wave near-infrared laser beams in what is called photothermal delivery.
And they used this delivery method to introduce impermeable dyes and small DNA molecules into human cancer cells.
This work grew out of a previous study in which the researchers used a 50 to 100 milliwatt laser and the same carbon nanoparticle, which absorbs the beam, to heat up and destroy cancer cells in the lab.
“In [the current study, we] used a lower-power, 20 to 30 milliwatt, continuous wave near-infrared laser and the nanoparticle to permeate the cell membrane without killing the cells,” said Ali Koymen, PhD, of the University of Texas at Arlington.
“This method stretches the desired cell membrane to allow for delivery and has the added bonus of creating a fluid flow that speeds the movement of what is being delivered.”
The investigators noted that, currently, the predominant practice is using viruses for delivery to cells. Unfortunately, the scope of what can be delivered with viruses is severely limited, and virus interaction can lead to inflammatory responses and other complications.
Researchers looking to create a path into the cell without employing a virus have experimented with using UV-visible light laser beams alone. But that method damages surrounding cells and has a relatively shallow level of effectiveness.
Dr Koymen and his colleagues said a significant advantage of their method is that the near-infrared light absorption of the nanoparticle can be used to selectively amplify the interaction of low-power laser with targeted tissue, and laser-induced damage to non-targeted cells can be avoided.
The magnetic properties of the nanoparticles also mean they can be localized with an external magnetic field. Therefore, a smaller concentration can be used effectively.