In Situ Oxygen Generation via a Platinum-Based Wireless Nanopore Electrode for Single-Cell Manipulation

Oxygen production within human cells plays a critical role in cellular metabolism and is implicated in various diseases, including cancer. Investigating cellular heterogeneity under oxygen stimulation is crucial for elucidating disease mechanisms and advancing early therapeutic design. In this study, the platinum-based wireless nanopore electrode (WNE) with a diameter of ≈200 nm is employed as a powerful tool to produce oxygen molecules near the cell nucleus. The oxygen production can be quantitatively controlled by adjusting the applied voltage. Through delivering oxygen near the cancer cell nucleus, this technique shows the capacity to alleviate the hypoxia microenvironment, a key factor in chemotherapy resistance. Furthermore, by modulating oxygen levels within individual living cells and delivering chemotherapeutic agents to the cancer cell nucleus, this approach offers significant potential for single-cell manipulation and the investigation of cellular heterogeneity under oxygen stimulation.