Vapor nanobubble-mediated photoporation constitutes a versatile intracellular delivery technology

Vapor nanobubble-mediated photoporation has evolved into a promising physical intracellular delivery technology. When irradiated with short but intense laser pulses, photothermal nanomaterials can generate vapor nanobubbles that, when they collapse, induce transient membrane pores through which exogenous effector molecules can be delivered into the cells. Interestingly, this technique offers high-throughput delivery in various cell types, including hard-to-transfect primary cells. A unique feature among cell transfection technologies is its ability to deliver compounds in spatially defined areas, even with single-cell resolution, through controlled scanning of the laser beam. This is especially useful for targeting specific cells in dense heterogenous samples. Although primarily used for permeabilizing the outer cell membrane, this strategy has been exploited to destabilize endosomal and nuclear membranes as well.

Publication year:2021

Accessibility:Open