Of Gold and Light :
a detonating mixture for cell transfection

Intracellular administration of molecules is a key stage in many diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Several 'transfection' techniques exist (viral or non-viral vectors, physical methods) to circumvent the various obstacles to the controlled introduction of drugs, while optimising key parameters such as efficacy, viability and treatment rate.

In the register of physical methods, photoporation with gold nanoparticles has shown to be a promising approach to permeabilize cell membranes through the generation of surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-induced vapor nanobubbles with a laser, allowing the entry of external molecules or cargoes inside the cells.

As part of theERC Nanobubble (K. Braeckmans, UGhent) and interdisciplinary collaboration between Canther laboratories, IEMN and PhLAMA new optofluidic method enables gold nanoparticles to be held in close proximity to cells for photoporation, while avoiding direct contact with the cells by taking advantage of hydrodynamic focusing in a multi-flow microfluidic device.

Cells are photoporinated with an efficiency of ∼ 70% without significant reduction in cell viability at a rate ranging from 10³ to 10⁴ cells per minute. This optofluidic approach offers prospects for transferring photoporation to clinical use for the production of genetically engineered therapeutic cells.

This work was just published recently (February 2023) in the Journal of Nanobiotechnology (5-year IF 11.5): https://rdcu.be/c5dSY

M. Layachi, A. Treizebré, L. Hay, D. Gilbert, J. Pesez, Q. D’Acremont, K. Braeckmans, Q. Thommen and E. Courtade, Novel opto‑fluidic drug delivery system for efficient cellular transfection, J. Nanobiotechnology 21, 43 (2023)