Abstract
Magnetic nanoparticles have been widely developed as vectors in targeting drug and gene delivery. Disulfide-containing polyethylenimine derivative- (SSPEI-) functionalized magnetic carbon nanotubes (CNTs/Fe3O4-SSPEI) were synthesized as gene vector. Fourier transform infrared, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis were used to characterize CNTs/Fe3O4-SSPEI nanoparticles. The magnetic nanoparticles displayed typical superparamagnetic behavior and excellent dispersibility in water. Plasmid DNA could be bound by CNTs/Fe3O4-SSPEI to form the complexes. The sizes of complexes are about 400 nm, and the zeta potentials are positive at the w/w ratio over 6. CNTs/Fe3O4-SSPEI nanoparticles displayed higher transfection activity than did PEI (25 kDa), whereas the cytotoxicity was rather lower. Moreover, the transfection efficiency was further increased with the assistance of an external magnetic field. These results indicate that CNTs/Fe3O4-SSPEI nanoparticles would be a promising vector in targeted gene delivery.
Highlights
As a promising therapeutic method, gene therapy has shown considerable potential in genetic disorders, hereditary diseases, and some incurable diseases such as cancer [1, 2]
A disulfidecontaining PEI derivative was synthesized by cross-linking low-molecular-weight branched 1.8 kDa PEI with cystamine bisacrylamide
Magnetic Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) (CNTs/Fe3O4) were prepared through a conventional coprecipitation method, magnetic CNTs were further functionalized with disulfidecontaining PEI (SSPEI) as a gene vector
Summary
As a promising therapeutic method, gene therapy has shown considerable potential in genetic disorders, hereditary diseases, and some incurable diseases such as cancer [1, 2]. One obstacle in the application of gene therapy is the lack of efficient and safe gene transfer vectors. Nonviral vectors are nonimmunogenetic and easy to manufacture, which have attracted much attention and gotten more and more successes in in vitro and vivo applications [3,4,5]. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a one-dimensional material with excellent physical and chemical properties, which have been used in many fields [6, 7]. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been developed as efficient gene vectors because of their larger surface area, which could conjugate DNA and siRNA via covalent and noncovalent interactions [8, 9]
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