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Nanopillars create tiny openings in the nucleus without damaging cells

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2024-10-17 17:00:04

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Imagine trying to poke a hole in the yolk of a raw egg without breaking the egg white. It sounds impossible, but researchers at the University of California San Diego have developed a technology that performs a similarly delicate task in living cells.

They created an array of nanopillars that can breach the nucleus of a cell—the compartment that houses our DNA—without damaging the cell's outer membrane.

The research, published in Advanced Functional Materials, could open new possibilities in gene therapy, where genetic material needs to be delivered directly into the nucleus, as well as drug delivery and other forms of precision medicine.

"We've developed a tool that can easily create a gateway into the nucleus," said Zeinab Jahed, professor in the Aiiso Yufeng Li Family Department of Chemical and Nano Engineering at UC San Diego and senior author of the study.