Carbon Nanosyringe Array as a Platform for Intracellular Delivery

Abstract

We report a novel platform for intracellular delivery of genetic material and nanoparticles, based on vertically aligned carbon nanosyringe arrays (CNSAs) of controllable height. Using this technology, we have shown that plasmid and quantum dots can be efficiently delivered to the cytoplasm of cancer cells and human mesenchymal stem cells. The CNSA platform holds great promise for a myriad of applications including cell-based therapy, imaging, and tracking in vivo, and in biological studies aimed at understanding cellular function.