Low molecular weight polyethylenimine-conjugated gold nanospheres: a platform for selective gene therapy controlled by near-infrared light

• Published in: Nanomedicine (London, England) Vol. 12; no. 5; pp. 511 - 534
• Main Authors: Liu, Fei, Kong, Fen-fen, Li, Qing-po, Yuan, Hong, Du, Yong-zhong, Hu, Fu-qiang, Sun, Ji-hong, You, Jian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Future Medicine Ltd 01.03.2017
• Subjects: Animals; Apoptosis; Biomedical materials; Breast cancer; Cancer therapies; Cell cycle; Chemotherapy; Experiments; Gene expression; Gene therapy; Gene Transfer Techniques; Genetic Therapy; Gold - chemistry; hollow gold nanospheres; Humans; Infrared Rays; Lasers; Light; MCF-7 Cells; Mice; Molecular Weight; Morphology; Nanoparticles; Nanospheres - administration & dosage; Nanospheres - chemistry; near-infrared (NIR) light; Neoplasms - genetics; Neoplasms - therapy; photothermal effect; Polyethyleneimine - chemistry; polyethylenimine; Quantitative analysis; Transfection; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 - genetics; Tumors; Vectors (Biology); Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays; hollow gold nanospheres; near-infrared (NIR) light; photothermal effect; polyethylenimine; transfection
• ISSN: 1743-5889; 1748-6963
• DOI: 10.2217/nnm-2016-0273

Whether PEI -HAuNS could promote gene transfection efficiency controlled by near-infrared (NIR) light. This safe nonviral gene delivery system was obtained by conjugating low molecular weight (2 kDa) polyethylenimine (PEI) onto hollow gold nanospheres (PEI -HAuNS). Upon NIR laser irradiation, there was a conspicuous increase both in the and transfection achieved by the nanocomplexes. Furthermore, a plasmid encoding the tumor suppressor TP53 (pTP53) was applied to test antitumor activity. The enhanced gene transfection efficiency and therapy of PEI -HAuNS were achieved via the mediation of an NIR laser compared with the other treatments and . The application of NIR laser irradiated PEI -HAuNS can be used as a promising gene delivery systems and .