NUS phát triển công nghệ “mã vạch DNA” giúp định vị hạt nano vàng tấn công tận gốc tế bào ung thư

A new high-throughput platform screens dozens of nanoparticle designs in living systems to identify those that reach tumour mitochondria, enabling more precise and effective cancer therapies

A research team led by Assistant Professor Andy Tay (right) from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has developed a DNA-barcoding platform to effectively screen large nanomaterial libraries in vivo, enabling the design of nanoparticles for more precise drug delivery.

Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a high-throughput method to identify gold nanoparticles capable of delivering therapies directly to mitochondria (the energy centres inside cancer cells). By tagging nanoparticles with unique DNA “barcodes”, the team was able to track and compare dozens of designs simultaneously in living tumour models, rapidly identifying those most effective at reaching this critical subcellular target.

The approach enables researchers to systematically evaluate how nanoparticle design, including shape, size and surface chemistry, influences their ability to accumulate in tumours and reach mitochondria. Among the candidates tested, two formulations emerged as standout performers. One, a folic acid-modified cubic gold nanoparticle, achieved 99 per cent tumour regression in preclinical studies when used in a combined treatment involving mitochondria-targeted RNA therapy and mild photothermal therapy.

Led by Assistant Professor Andy Tay from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the College of Design and Engineering and the Institute for Health Innovation & Technology at NUS, the study demonstrates how large libraries of nanomaterials can be screened efficiently inside living systems, providing a rational framework for designing nanoparticles that deliver drugs with far greater precision. The study was published in Advanced Materials on 17 February 2026.

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