@article{Li2020, 
author = {Qiang Li and Fengchao Wang and Jie Yang and Dingbin Liu},
title = {Direct cytoplasm delivery of gold nanoparticles for real-time apoptosis detection},
year = {2020},
journal = {Nano Research},
volume = {13},
number = {3},
pages = {853-860},
keywords = {real-time imaging, gold nanoprobes, nanogel, endo/lysosomal escape, apoptosis detection},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.1007/s12274-020-2707-y},
doi = {10.1007/s12274-020-2707-y},
abstract = {Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) assembled with fluorescent peptides through Au-S bonds (pep-AuNPs) have been widely used in biomolecular detection. However, due to the endo/lysosomal trapping after the nanoprobes enter cells, the direct delivery of AuNP probes into the cytoplasm for real-time imaging remains a difficult barrier for many cytoplasm-targeting agents. Here, we prepare AuNP@gel by wrapping a multi-functional nanogel structure on the surface of a single AuNP probe by in-situ polymerization in order to directly deliver AuNP probes into the cell cytoplasm. Compared with the pep-AuNP probes, which are trapped inside lysosomes for long periods, the AuNP@gel probes use the proton-sponge effect to effectively disrupt endo/lysosomal membranes and remain in the cytoplasm. In addition, the AuNP@gel probes rapidly escape from endo/lysosomes to avoid the complex environment that interferes with the stability of the AuNP probes and the lysosomal-storage trigger the upregulation of oxidative stress into the cells. The nanogel structure enables the AuNP probes to avoid some detrimental effects and to achieve high-fidelity fluorescence signals in the cells. Compared to traditional strategies for lysosomal escape, this one-step in-situ polymerization procedure avoids the complicated modification of additional ligands and is generally applicable to peptide-, DNA-, and polymer-linked AuNP probes.}
}