Seventy percent of nanosized diamond particles successfully reached the nucleus of yeast cells within 24 hours. The figure may sound modest, but in the field of cellular-level drug delivery research, it represents a major leap forward. This was the achievement of drg. Aryan Morita, M.Sc., Ph.D., a lecturer in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Gadjah Mada, together with a research team from the University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands. Their findings were published in the journal Nanomaterials in October 2020. The study provided the first evidence that fluorescent nanodiamond particles could be precisely directed toward the nucleus of yeast cells (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), an achievement that had not previously been reported in the scientific literature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fluorescent nanodiamonds, or FNDs, are not ordinary jewelry diamonds. Measuring approximately 70 nanometers, they are hundreds of times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. These particles possess several remarkable properties: their fluorescence is stable and resistant to photobleaching, they are non-toxic to living cells, and they can carry drug payloads on their surfaces. More intriguingly, FNDs can function as nanoscale magnetic sensors, allowing researchers to \u201cread\u201d conditions inside cells directly without damaging them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
FNDs have previously been used in various studies involving mammalian cells, including cancer cells. However, yeast cells, which are frequently used as model organisms for studying aging processes, present a unique challenge. Their cell walls are thick and rigid, resembling a fortress that is difficult for relatively large particles to penetrate. The research team overcame this obstacle using a technique called spheroplasting, an enzymatic process that completely removes the cell wall, allowing the particles to enter more freely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The key to the success of this study lay in combining FNDs with specific antibodies that recognize the nuclear pore complex (NPC), the \u201cgateway\u201d to the nucleus. Imagine the nucleus as a building\u2019s server room: all the genetic information is stored there, while the NPC serves as a heavily guarded entrance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Without antibodies, only 20% of FND particles successfully reached the nucleus after 24 hours. When antibodies were attached to their surfaces, this figure increased dramatically to 70%. The researchers also observed that antibody-conjugated FNDs (FND-AB) tended to move progressively closer to the nucleus as incubation time increased, whereas FNDs without antibodies remained trapped near the cell periphery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Biocompatibility testing using the MTT assay showed that adding antibodies to the surface of FNDs did not interfere with the metabolic activity of the yeast cells. In other words, the particles were safe to use and did not damage their target cells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNanodiamonds conjugated with antibodies provide better targeting than FND particles without antibodies. In the future, controlling particle size and surface charge may improve targeting efficiency toward specific organelles.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 drg. Aryan Morita, M.Sc., Ph.D., in a publication in Nanomaterials, 2020<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The nucleus is more than just another cellular organelle. It is where the cell\u2019s genetic blueprint is stored and where DNA damage that can trigger cancer begins. The ability to deliver drugs or sensors directly to the nucleus opens up possibilities that have previously been difficult to achieve: truly targeted therapy that does not merely approach tumor cells but reaches the heart of the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond drug delivery, the research team also identified the potential of FND-AB as a long-term fluorescent label for cellular imaging and as a quantum magnetometry tool for monitoring nuclear conditions in real time. The latter concept, known as nanoscale MRI, could allow researchers to observe magnetic fluctuations within the nucleus\u2014something that had previously existed largely at the theoretical level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The research was supported by an LPDP scholarship from the Government of Indonesia for drg. Aryan Morita\u2019s doctoral studies, as well as funding from the European Research Council through an ERC Starting Grant. The collaboration between UGM and the University Medical Center Groningen demonstrates how basic research conducted by Indonesian researchers on the international stage can pave the way for future medical innovations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The major question that remains is how far this technology can move from the laboratory bench to the clinic. There is no answer yet. But the first step\u2014directing diamonds as small as viruses precisely toward the core of a living cell\u2014has already been shown to be possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Authors: drg. Achmad Zam Zam Aghasy, M.Kes.; Hazra Alifia Muharam <\/p>\n\n\n\n Photo: Freepik<\/p>\n\n\n\n DOI: https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/nano10101962<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Tujuh puluh persen partikel berlian berukuran nano berhasil mencapai inti sel ragi dalam waktu 24 jam. Angka itu terdengar kecil, tapi dalam dunia riset pengantaran obat ke tingkat seluler, pencapaian tersebut merupakan lompatan besar. Itulah hasil yang diraih oleh drg. Aryan Morita, M.Sc., Ph.D., dosen dari Departemen Biomedika Kedokteran Gigi Universitas Gadjah Mada, bersama tim […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":615,"featured_media":20577,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[359,136],"tags":[298,307,289,291,297],"class_list":["post-20567","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artikel","category-berita-terbaru","tag-sdg-10-mengurangi-ketidaksetaraan","tag-sdg-17-kemitraan-untuk-mencapai-tujuan","tag-sdg-3-kesehatan-dan-kesejahteraan-yang-baik","tag-sdg-4-pendidikan-berkualitas","tag-sdg-9-industri-inovasi-dan-infrastruktur"],"gutentor_comment":0,"yoast_head":"\nThe Nucleus as a Target: Why Does It Matter?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n