Will We Walk Around with Glowing DNA-Silver in Our Bodies?

In the not-too-distant future, injecting DNA-stabilised nanosilver into the human body could become a daily routine.

Goldtresor Team

3 October 2023 · 2 min read

Will We Walk Around with Glowing DNA-Silver in Our Bodies?

In the not-too-distant future, injecting DNA-stabilised nanosilver into the human body could become a daily routine.

But how does silver end up in DNA?

DNA does not only pass on the genetic information of parents to their offspring -- when combined with nanoscale particles of certain metals, it can also have biomimetic applications that imitate nature.

Silver nanoclusters can possess entirely different properties from silver in its natural state. Silver atoms, which are extremely reactive at the nano scale, become relatively manageable when encased in DNA -- a process known as stabilising silver in nanocluster form.

It has been known for nearly 20 years that combining nanosilver with specific DNA molecules produces red- and green-fluorescing materials called fluorophore DNA-stabilised silver nanoclusters, which can be used at the cellular level in a wide range of chemical and biosensing analyses.

Nanosilver has entered a new spectrum with the help of AI

In July, researchers at Copp Labs -- part of the University of California, Irvine -- published a study in which they developed a machine-learning-assisted method that extends (amplifies) the light and colour emission properties of DNA-stabilised silver nanoclusters into the near-infrared (NIR) range. As a result, signals from nanosilver placed inside living cells can be detected by an external sensor through several centimetres of living tissue.

To create the nanosilver-DNA combination with the desired properties, the research team used a machine-learning programme running on the LUMI supercomputer in Finland to work through combinations of DNA sequence segments and silver nanoclusters. The AI proposed which DNA molecules should be combined with the nanosilver to achieve the target effect.

Lead researcher Stacy Copp was also interviewed about the evolutionary significance of DNA-stabilised nanosilver for the human genome.

Nanosilver: non-invasive, not (overly) toxic

According to Copp, one of the main advantages of the DNA-nanosilver combination is that, unlike the other materials used in the experiment, silver -- at the nanoscale -- is not harmful to humans.

For instance, in the field of medical diagnostics, fluorescing silver nanoclusters enable a more effective, lower-cost and less invasive procedure compared with radioactive X-ray and isotope-based imaging -- benefiting both patients and the clinicians and analysts searching for tumours and other abnormalities in living tissue.

Silver -- as it has been for millennia -- continues to save lives today: In India, silver was used in Ayurvedic medicine as far back as 5,000 years ago; in modern times, silver catalysts are used in pharmaceutical manufacturing, while silver-ion-coated dressings are applied in hospitals to treat burn injuries.

Of course, we would not be surprised if the defence sector also showed keen interest in nanosilver capable of emitting non-visible light -- for example in the development of friend-or-foe identification systems.

Although years or even decades may pass before it happens, in the not-too-distant future the injection of DNA-stabilised nanosilver into humans -- whether for peaceful or military purposes -- could become commonplace.