DNA Coated Gold Nanoshells for Laser Induced Antisense Drug Release

The use of gold nanoshells has been demonstrated to be a potential tool in drug delivery due to their strong absorption of infrared light and heating using a pulsed laser. In this study we examine their use for intracellular delivery of single stranded DNA in a time and spatially-controlled manner, for gene regulation applications. DNA-functionalized nanoshells was examined in-vitro using fluorescence microscopy with dye-labeled DNA, which are shown to be released by laser or chemical stripping. Glass slides treated with cationic polymer vectors such as branched-polyethylenimine (PEI) and poly-L-lysine (PLL) were used to enable transfection into cancer cells. Cell viability was determined to be high, and DNA release within cells is shown using the chemical stripping method as a proof of principle.