In Vivo Laser-Mediated Retinal Ganglion Cell Optoporation Using K<sub>V</sub>1.1 Conjugated Gold Nanoparticles.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 30285455.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/acs.nanolett.8b02896.
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Abstract
Vision loss caused by retinal diseases affects hundreds of millions of individuals worldwide. The retina is a delicate central nervous system tissue stratified into layers of cells with distinct roles. Currently, there is a void in treatments that selectively target diseased retinal cells, and current therapeutic paradigms present complications associated with off-target effects. Herein, as a proof of concept, we introduce an in vivo method using a femtosecond laser to locally optoporate retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) targeted with functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). We provide evidence that AuNPs functionalized with an antibody toward the cell-surface voltage-gated K<sup>+</sup> channel subunit K<sub>V</sub>1.1 can selectively deliver fluorescently tagged siRNAs or fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran dye into retinal cells when irradiated with an 800 nm 100 fs laser. Importantly, neither AuNP administration nor irradiation resulted in RGC death. This system provides a novel, non-viral-based approach that has the potential to selectively target retinal cells in diseased regions while sparing healthy areas and may be harnessed in future cell-specific therapies for retinal degenerative diseases.