Yanzhen Sun1, Xiaoli Ma2, Xiaodong Jing1, Hao Hu1. 1. Institute of Biomedical Materials and Engineering, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China. 2. Qingdao Institute of Measurement Technology, Qingdao 266000, China.
Abstract
Gene therapy is used to correct or compensate for diseases caused by gene defects and abnormalities. Improving the transfection efficiency and reducing the toxicity of gene carriers are the keys to gene therapy. Similar to a typical cationic gene carrier-polyethylenimine (PEI, 25 kDa)-the polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer also has a large number of amino groups. These amino groups can be complexed with nucleic acids after protonation under physiological conditions. However, the concentrated positive charge can cause undesirable cytotoxicity. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have good biocompatibility and unique needle-like morphology, and have been proven to be efficiently taken up by cells. In this article, three-dimensional spherical PMAMA dendrimers are conjugated onto the surface of CNCs to obtain a kind of needle-like cationic carrier (CNC-PAMAM). PAMAM dendrimers act as anchors to bind the plasmid DNAs (pDNA) to the surface of the CNC. The prepared CNC-based carrier showed high transfection efficiency and low toxicity. The CNC-PAMAM can effectively deliver the suicide gene to the tumor site, enabling the suicide gene/prodrug system (cytosine deaminase/5-fluorocytosine (CD/5-FC)) to play an effective anti-tumor role in vivo. This research demonstrates that the functionalization of CNCs with PAMAM dendrimers is an effective method for developing novel gene delivery systems.
Gene therapy is used to correct or compensate for diseases caused by gene n class="Disease">defects and abnormalities. Improvinpan>g the tranpan>sfection efficienpan>cy anpan>d reducinpan>g the pan> class="Disease">toxicity of gene carriers are the keys to gene therapy. Similar to a typical cationic gene carrier-polyethylenimine (PEI, 25 kDa)-the polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer also has a large number of amino groups. These amino groups can be complexed with nucleic acids after protonation under physiological conditions. However, the concentrated positive charge can cause undesirable cytotoxicity. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have good biocompatibility and unique needle-like morphology, and have been proven to be efficiently taken up by cells. In this article, three-dimensional spherical PMAMA dendrimers are conjugated onto the surface of CNCs to obtain a kind of needle-like cationic carrier (CNC-PAMAM). PAMAM dendrimers act as anchors to bind the plasmid DNAs (pDNA) to the surface of the CNC. The prepared CNC-based carrier showed high transfection efficiency and low toxicity. The CNC-PAMAM can effectively deliver the suicide gene to the tumor site, enabling the suicide gene/prodrug system (cytosine deaminase/5-fluorocytosine (CD/5-FC)) to play an effective anti-tumor role in vivo. This research demonstrates that the functionalization of CNCs with PAMAM dendrimers is an effective method for developing novel gene delivery systems.
Authors: Khaled A Mahmoud; Jimmy A Mena; Keith B Male; Sabahudin Hrapovic; Amine Kamen; John H T Luong Journal: ACS Appl Mater Interfaces Date: 2010-10 Impact factor: 9.229
Authors: P van de Wetering; E E Moret; N M Schuurmans-Nieuwenbroek; M J van Steenbergen; W E Hennink Journal: Bioconjug Chem Date: 1999 Jul-Aug Impact factor: 4.774