Issue 32, 2024

DNA tetrahedral nanocages as a promising nanocarrier for dopamine delivery in neurological disorders

Abstract

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system that is essential for many bodily and mental processes, and a lack of it can cause Parkinson's disease. DNA tetrahedral (TD) nanocages are promising in bio-nanotechnology, especially as a nanocarrier. TD is highly programmable, biocompatible, and capable of cell differentiation and proliferation. It also has tissue and blood–brain barrier permeability, making it a powerful tool that could overcome potential barriers in treating neurological disorders. In this study, we used DNA TD as a carrier for dopamine to cells and zebrafish embryos. We investigated the mechanism of complexation between TD and dopamine hydrochloride using gel electrophoresis, fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and molecular dynamic (MD) simulation tools. Further, we demonstrate that these dopamine-loaded DNA TD nanostructures enhanced cellular uptake and differentiation ability in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Furthermore, we extended the study to zebrafish embryos as a model organism to examine survival and uptake. The research provides valuable insights into the complexation mechanism and cellular uptake of dopamine-loaded DNA tetrahedral nanostructures, paving the way for further advancements in nanomedicine for Parkinson's disease and other neurological disorders.

Graphical abstract: DNA tetrahedral nanocages as a promising nanocarrier for dopamine delivery in neurological disorders

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
11 2 2024
Accepted
20 7 2024
First published
25 7 2024

Nanoscale, 2024,16, 15158-15169

DNA tetrahedral nanocages as a promising nanocarrier for dopamine delivery in neurological disorders

R. Singh, K. Kansara, P. Yadav, S. Mandal, R. Varshney, S. Gupta, A. Kumar, P. K. Maiti and D. Bhatia, Nanoscale, 2024, 16, 15158 DOI: 10.1039/D4NR00612G

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements