Gold nanoparticle-assisted delivery of brain-derived neurotrophic factor to cerebral organoids

Gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-assisted delivery of proteins/drugs to cells or in vivo systems has long been studied. However, their interaction with in vivo mimicking organoids is still largely unknown. Here, we conjugated brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) to the AuNP surface and monitored how AuNP-BDNF interacts with cerebral organoids. Data suggest that AuNP-BDNF can successfully enter cerebral organoids and can be found up to 15.21 µm inside cerebral organoids. AuNP-BDNF does not induce significant cytotoxicity to cerebral organoids at concentrations up to 2 nM and increases the expression of 75 genes compared to control cerebral organoids. These data suggest the successful delivery of BDNF through AuNP-BDNF conjugation in cerebral organoids, and the conjugation can affect its differentiation.