Nano-spies go deep, disguised as HIV
Bioengineers at Duke University have figured out a way to sneak molecular spies into a cell’s command center—its nucleus.
The researchers used silver nanoparticles cloaked in a protein from the HIV virus that has an uncanny ability to penetrate human cells. The ultimate goal is to be able to spot the earliest possible moment when the genetic material within a cell begins to turn abnormal, leading to a host of disorders, especially cancer. The finding also shows how drugs or other payloads might be delivered directly into the nucleus.
Full story at Futurity.
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
