Intracellular and Extracellular Delivery of Protein and Small Biomolecules Via Near-Infrared Light

Small biomolecule delivery is done via “caged” compounds. However, each bioactive requires the chemical synthesis of its own “cage”. As yet, no NIR triggered caged compounds are effective under typical experimental conditions. We have developed liposomes tethered to plasmon-resonant hollow gold nanoparticles (HGN) that can be triggered to release their contents by picosecond pulses of physiologically friendly, deeply penetrating near infrared (NIR) light. Liposomes tethered to HGN can encapsulate almost any water-soluble biologically active molecule by confining high concentrations in liposomes tethered to HGN. We could delivery of multiple agent at different times and locations, which is impossible with current liposome or caged compound technologies. Chemically disparate calcium, and ATP are all released at near 100 % efficiency from liposomes within msec. We could also control release rates and windows of each biomolecule in a mixture independently, by delivering two species or even changing the order of release.