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The possibility to remotely manipulate intracellular pathways in single cells is among the current goals of biomedicine, demanding new strategies to control cell function and reprogramming cell fate upon external triggering. We developed optical switchers of an ancient and highly conserved system controlling a variety of developmental and adult processes in all metazoans, from Hydra to mammals, the Wnt/β -catenin signaling pathway. An intracellular modulator of the Wnt pathway was enclosed into polyelectrolyte multilayer microcapsules engineered to include self-tracking (i.e. fluorescence labeling) and light mediated heating functionalities (i.e. plasmonic nanoparticles). Capsules were delivered in vivo  to Hydra  and NIR triggered drug release caused forced activation of the Wnt pathway.

Relevant Publication

Ambrosone A., Marchesano V., Carregal-Romero S, Intartaglia D, Parak WJ, Tortiglione C. Control of Wnt/β-catenin Signalling Pathway in vivo via Light Responsive Capsules. ACS Nano 2016, 10, 4828-4834

This article was highlighted in Perspective article: Illuminating Cell Signaling with Near-Infrared Light-Responsive Nanomaterials. Y. Zhang et al, ACS Nano 2016, 10 (4): 3881-3885

Collaborations

Wolfgang Parak, Universität Hamburg, Germany

Maria Grazia Rimoli, Dip Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Napoli “Federico II”, Napoli

Go to: Nanomedicine