title: Bacteria-mediated delivery of nanoparticles and cargo into cells.
abstract: Nanoparticles and bacteria can be used, independently, to deliver genes and proteins into mammalian cells for monitoring or altering gene expression and protein production. Here, we show the simultaneous use of nanoparticles and bacteria to deliver DNA-based model drug molecules in vivo and in vitro. In our approach, cargo (in this case, a fluorescent or a bioluminescent gene) is loaded onto the nanoparticles, which are carried on the bacteria surface. When incubated with cells, the cargo-carrying bacteria ('microbots') were internalized by the cells, and the genes released from the nanoparticles were expressed in the cells. Mice injected with microbots also successfully expressed the genes as seen by the luminescence in different organs. This new approach may be used to deliver different types of cargo into live animals and a variety of cells in culture without the need for complicated genetic manipulations.
authors.affiliation: Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University, 1205 W State Street, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA.
authors.forename: Demir
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Akin
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sturgis
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ragheb
authors.forename: Debby
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sherman
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Burkholder
authors.forename: J Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Arun K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Bhunia
authors.forename: Sulma
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mohammed
authors.forename: Rashid
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bashir
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000235:genetics*; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D014162:Transfection / Q000379:methods*; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D004247:DNA