Light-controllable cell-membrane disturbance for intracellular delivery

J Mater Chem B. 2024 May 1;12(17):4138-4147. doi: 10.1039/d3tb02956e.

Abstract

Highly polar and charged molecules, such as oligonucleotides, face significant barriers in crossing the cell membrane to access the cytoplasm. To address this problem, we developed a light-triggered twistable tetraphenylethene (TPE) derivative, TPE-C-N, to facilitate the intracellular delivery of charged molecules through an endocytosis-independent pathway. The central double bond of TPE in TPE-C-N is planar in the ground state but becomes twisted in the excited state. Under light irradiation, this planar-to-twisted structural change induces continuous cell membrane disturbances. Such disturbance does not lead to permanent damage to the cell membrane. TPE-C-N significantly enhanced the intracellular delivery of negatively charged molecules under light irradiation when endocytosis was inhibited through low-temperature treatment, confirming the endocytosis-independent nature of this delivery method. We have successfully demonstrated that the TPE-C-N-mediated light-controllable method can efficiently promote the intracellular delivery of charged molecules, such as peptides and oligonucleotides, with molecular weights ranging from 1000 to 5000 Da.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Membrane* / metabolism
  • Drug Delivery Systems
  • Endocytosis
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Light*
  • Oligonucleotides / chemistry
  • Oligonucleotides / pharmacology
  • Stilbenes*

Substances

  • tetraphenylethylene
  • Oligonucleotides
  • Stilbenes