Fig. 4

Overall concept of laser-induced transfection, fluorescence microscopy images of HCT116, RT-qPCR analysis, and cell viability assay. a Overall concept of the transfection of the silencing oligonucleotide mediated by mild photothermy—upon irradiation, AuNPs induce cell uptake and the silencing oligonucleotide (siRNA/ASO) enters the cells (Created with BioRender.com). b Fluorescence microscopy images of HCT116 transiently expressing AcGFP1 protein 24 h after silencing experiment in the different conditions tested. Scale bars correspond to 50 μm. c AcGFP1 gene expression in different conditions tested. Gene expression levels were normalised to the cells without anti-AcGFP1 (Control). Black asterisks indicate statistical differences between samples and Control (*p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; Unpaired parametric t test with Welch’s correction). Data represents the mean value ± the standard error mean of at least three biologically independent experiments with two technical replicates for each. d Cell viability analysis of the different samples tested after 24 h of AcGFP1 silencing via MTS assay. The three conditions tested were normalised to Control. Statistical differences were not observed between all the samples tested with cell control without anti-AcGFP1 (Control). Data represents the mean value ± the standard error mean of two biologically independent experiments with two technical replicates for each