By Philip Ball

Cells with a lack of necessary genes, or faulty genes, may have a new treatment method enabling the addition of healthy genes using lasers. German researches report finding a way to laser a temporary opening in cells to get the necessary DNA inside, a more efficient and effective method than other existing techniques.

The researchers cut a hole in cells with an infrared laser and then transferred DNA into the cells using ultra-short laser pulses. Proteins within the DNA were encoded with a green glow for tracking purposes. All the cells grew and divided in a healthy manner. This is a vast improvement over the current popular methods, which cannot target individual cells and have imperfect DNA transfer records.

The pulses utilized to transfer DNA into cells in earlier laser studies permanently damaged the cells. The laser pulses in the German research are a million times shorter than those pulses, allowing the cells to intake the DNA without such damage. If these new laser techniques are optimized, treating genetic diseases - gene therapy - could become much easer.

Nature Science Update 18 July 2002