Kyoto University’s Institute team coated gold nanorods with lipoprotein. This allowed the nanorods to bind efficiently to nerve cell membranes bearing a pain receptor called TRPV1 (transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1). Near-infrared light was then applied to the nanorod-coated pain receptors. The nanorods heated up, activating the pain receptors to allow an influx of calcium ions through the membrane. Prolonged activation of TRPV1 is known to subsequently lead to their desensitization, bringing pain relief. Importantly, heating the gold nanorods enabled safe activation of the TRPV1 pain receptors alone, without affecting the membrane in which they lie.
Previous studies had shown that magnetic nanoparticles are also able to activate TRPV1 receptors by applying a magnetic field. The target cells in this method, however, require genetic modification for it to work. Using lipoprotein-coated gold nanorods requires no genetic modification of the target cells. Also, the nanorods were found to have at least 1000X greater efficiency than magnetic nanoparticles in heat generation and in activating TRPV1 receptors.
“The gold nanorods can be retained in the body for a prolonged period,” says Tatsuya Murakami, the principal investigator of this study. “Local injection of our gold nanorods might enable repetitive and on-demand treatment for people experiencing intractable pain because prior genetic engineering of the target cells is unnecessary.” http://www.icems.kyoto-u.ac.jp/e/pr/2015/08/06-nr.htm
Thermosensitive Ion Channel Activation in Single Neuronal Cells by Using Surface-Engineered Plasmonic Nanoparticles.
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