Nanotube Research Center (NTRC), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 5, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8565 (Japan).
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2014 Nov 24;53(48):13121-5. doi: 10.1002/anie.201407169. Epub 2014 Oct 24.
A single organism comprises diverse types of cells. To acquire a detailed understanding of the biological functions of each cell, comprehensive control and analysis of homeostatic processes at the single-cell level are required. In this study, we develop a new type of light-driven nanomodulator comprising dye-functionalized carbon nanohorns (CNHs) that generate heat and reactive oxygen species under biologically transparent near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation. By exploiting the physicochemical properties of the nanohorns, cellular calcium ion flux and membrane currents were successfully controlled at the single-cell level. In addition, the nanomodulator allows a remote bioexcitation of tissues during NIR laser exposure making this system a powerful tool for single-cell analyses and innovative cell therapies.
一个单一的生物体包含多种类型的细胞。为了详细了解每个细胞的生物学功能，需要在单细胞水平上对其进行全面的控制和分析。在这项研究中，我们开发了一种新型的光驱动纳米调制器，它由染料功能化的碳纳米角（CNH）组成，在生物透明的近红外（NIR）激光照射下产生热量和活性氧。利用纳米角的物理化学性质，成功地在单细胞水平上控制了细胞钙离子流和膜电流。此外，该纳米调制器允许在近红外激光照射期间对组织进行远程生物激发，使该系统成为单细胞分析和创新细胞治疗的有力工具。
