Loh Owen, Lam Robert, Chen Mark, Moldovan Nicolaie, Huang Houjin, Ho Dean, Espinosa Horacio D
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208-3111, USA.
Small. 2009 Jul;5(14):1667-74. doi: 10.1002/smll.200900361.
Nanodiamonds are rapidly emerging as promising carriers for next-generation therapeutics and drug delivery. However, developing future nanoscale devices and arrays that harness these nanoparticles will require unrealized spatial control. Furthermore, single-cell in vitro transfection methods lack an instrument that simultaneously offers the advantages of having nanoscale dimensions and control and continuous delivery via microfluidic components. To address this, two modes of controlled delivery of functionalized diamond nanoparticles are demonstrated using a broadly applicable nanofountain probe, a tool for direct-write nanopatterning with sub-100-nm resolution and direct in vitro single-cell injection. This study demonstrates the versatility of the nanofountain probe as a tool for high-fidelity delivery of functionalized nanodiamonds and other agents in nanomanufacturing and single-cell biological studies. These initial demonstrations of controlled delivery open the door to future studies examining the nanofountain probe's potential in delivering specific doses of DNA, viruses, and other therapeutically relevant biomolecules.
纳米金刚石正迅速成为下一代治疗和药物递送领域颇具前景的载体。然而，要开发利用这些纳米颗粒的未来纳米级器件和阵列，将需要尚未实现的空间控制。此外，单细胞体外转染方法缺乏一种能同时具备纳米级尺寸、可控性以及通过微流体组件实现连续递送等优点的仪器。为解决这一问题，利用一种广泛适用的纳米喷泉探针展示了功能化金刚石纳米颗粒的两种可控递送模式，该探针是一种用于直接写入纳米图案、分辨率低于100纳米且可直接进行体外单细胞注射的工具。本研究证明了纳米喷泉探针作为一种工具在纳米制造和单细胞生物学研究中用于高保真递送功能化纳米金刚石及其他试剂的多功能性。这些可控递送的初步展示为未来研究纳米喷泉探针在递送特定剂量的DNA、病毒及其他治疗相关生物分子方面的潜力打开了大门。
