Federica Piccirilli1, Franco Tardani2, Annalisa D'Arco3,4, Giovanni Birarda5, Lisa Vaccari5, Simona Sennato2,3, Stefano Casciardi6, Stefano Lupi1,3. 1. Istituto Officina dei Materiali CNR, 34149 Trieste, Italy. 2. Istituto dei Sistemi Complessi (ISC)-CNR, UOS Roma Sapienza, 00185 Roma, Italy. 3. Dipartimento di Fisica, "La Sapienza" Universitá di Roma, 00185 Roma, Italy. 4. National Institute of Nuclear Physics Section Rome, P.le A. Moro 2, 00185 Roma, Italy. 5. Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy. 6. Dipartimento di Medicina, Epidemiologia, Igiene del Lavoro e Ambientale, Istituto Nazionale per l'Assicurazione Contro gli Infortuni sul Lavoro, 00100 Roma, Italy.
Abstract
The growing demand for innovative means in biomedical, therapeutic and diagnostic sciences has led to the development of nanomedicine. In this context, naturally occurring tubular nanostructures composed of rolled sheets of alumino-silicates, known as halloysite nanotubes, have found wide application. Halloysite nanotubes indeed have surface properties that favor the selective loading of biomolecules. Here, we present the first, to our knowledge, structural study of DNA-decorated halloysite nanotubes, carried out with nanometric spatially-resolved infrared spectroscopy. Single nanotube absorption measurements indicate a partial covering of halloysite by DNA molecules, which show significant structural modifications taking place upon loading. The present study highlights the constraints for the use of nanostructured clays as DNA carriers and demonstrates the power of super-resolved infrared spectroscopy as an effective and versatile tool for the evaluation of immobilization processes in the context of drug delivery and gene transfer.
The growing demand for innovative means in biomedical, therapeutic and diagnostic sciences has led to the development of nanomedicine. In this context, naturally occurring tubular nanostructures composed of rolled sheets of n class="Chemical">alumino-silicates, known as halloysite nanotubes, have found wide application. Halloysite nanotubes indeed have surface properties that favor the selective loading of biomolecules. Here, we present the first, to our knowledge, structural study of DNA-decorated halloysite nanotubes, carried out with nanometric spatially-resolved infrared spectroscopy. Single nanotube absorption measurements indicate a partial covering of halloysite by DNA molecules, which show significant structural modifications taking place upon loading. The present study highlights the constraints for the use of nanostructured clays as DNA carriers and demonstrates the power of super-resolved infrared spectroscopy as an effective and versatile tool for the evaluation of immobilization processes in the context of drug delivery and gene transfer.
Authors: Ayaz Hassan; Lucyano J A Macedo; João C P de Souza; Filipe C D A Lima; Frank N Crespilho Journal: Sci Rep Date: 2020-02-06 Impact factor: 4.379