How nanoneedles transfect cells: caveolae hold the key
In ACS Nano, we show that Caveolin-1-dependent caveolar endocytosis is what turns nanoneedle delivery into gene expression.
Nanoneedles can deliver nucleic acids into primary human cells, but how delivery leads to gene expression was unclear. Ningjia Sun, Cong Wang, Yikai Wang and colleagues found that caveolae-mediated endocytosis, dependent on Caveolin-1, is required: nucleic acids still enter cells without it, but are only expressed when caveolar endocytosis is present.
Sun N, Wang C, Wang Y, … Chiappini C. ACS Nano (2026). doi:10.1021/acsnano.5c11011