近日，國(guó)際著名雜志Science在線刊登了國(guó)外研究人員的最新研究成果“Radio-Wave Heating of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Can Regulate Plasma Glucose in Mice,，”,，文章中，研究者揭示了他們發(fā)明的一種在活的生物體中開啟某些基因的遙控形式的方法,。
盡管該方法可能會(huì)在將來具有某些臨床上的意義,，但就目前而言，它主要是為人們提供了一種有趣的研究工具,，用以在某個(gè)動(dòng)物的組織中無(wú)需用藥或其它侵入性的方法即可操縱基因的表達(dá),。
該Rube-Goldberg樣的技術(shù)包括了將無(wú)線電波送入組織,，使得埋置于細(xì)胞內(nèi)的金屬納米顆粒被加熱,。對(duì)溫度敏感的離子通道通過開放通道讓離子流入細(xì)胞而做出反應(yīng),，從而發(fā)送出一種引導(dǎo)標(biāo)靶基因表達(dá)的化學(xué)信號(hào),。在其原理驗(yàn)證的研究中，Sarah Stanley及其同事們展示,，這種方法可被用來產(chǎn)生一種細(xì)胞內(nèi)的鈣信號(hào)，它刺激某個(gè)經(jīng)過設(shè)計(jì)的胰島素基因的表達(dá),，從而帶來培養(yǎng)細(xì)胞中的胰島素的產(chǎn)生和釋放,。在表達(dá)有該經(jīng)過設(shè)計(jì)的胰島素基因的腫瘤的小鼠試驗(yàn)中,，接觸無(wú)線電波會(huì)引起小鼠體內(nèi)的腫瘤分泌胰島素并降低其血糖濃度。（生物谷Bioon.com）
doi:10.1126/science.1216753
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Radio-Wave Heating of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Can Regulate Plasma Glucose in Mice
Sarah A. Stanley1, Jennifer E. Gagner2, Shadi Damanpour1, Mitsukuni Yoshida3, Jonathan S. Dordick4, Jeffrey M. Friedman1,5,*
Medical applications of nanotechnology typically focus on drug delivery and biosensors. Here, we combine nanotechnology and bioengineering to demonstrate that nanoparticles can be used to remotely regulate protein production in vivo. We decorated a modified temperature-sensitive channel, TRPV1, with antibody-coated iron oxide nanoparticles that are heated in a low-frequency magnetic field. When local temperature rises, TRPV1 gates calcium to stimulate synthesis and release of bioengineered insulin driven by a Ca2+-sensitive promoter. Studying tumor xenografts expressing the bioengineered insulin gene, we show that exposure to radio waves stimulates insulin release from the tumors and lowers blood glucose in mice. We further show that cells can be engineered to synthesize genetically encoded ferritin nanoparticles and inducibly release insulin. These approaches provide a platform for using nanotechnology to activate cells.
