Two-in-One Platform for High-Efficiency Intracellular Delivery and Cell Harvest: When a Photothermal Agent Meets a Thermoresponsive Polymer

Efficient intracellular delivery of exogenous macromolecules is a key operation in biological research and for clinical applications. Moreover, under particular in vitro or ex vivo conditions, harvesting the engineered cells that maintain good viability is also important. However, none of the methods currently available is truly satisfactory in all respects. Herein, a "two-in-one" platform based on a polydopamine/poly( N-isopropylacrylamide) (PDA/PNIPAAm) hybrid film is developed, showing high efficiency in both cargo delivery and cell harvest without compromising cell viability. Due to the strong photothermal effect of PDA in response to near-infrared irradiation, this film can deliver diverse molecules to a number of cell types (including three hard-to-transfect cells) with an efficiency of ∼99% via membrane-disruption mechanism. Moreover, due to the thermoresponsive properties of PNIPAAm, the cells are harvested from the film without compromising viability by simply decreasing the temperature. A proof-of-concept experiment demonstrates that, using this platform, "recalcitrant" endothelial cells can be transfected by the functional ZNF580 gene and the harvested transfected cells can be recultured with high retention of viability and improved migration. In general, this "two-in-one" platform provides a reliable, universally applicable approach for both intracellular delivery and cell harvest in a highly efficient and nondestructive way, with great potential for use in a wide range of biomedical applications.