Application of pulsed-magnetic field enhances non-viral gene delivery in primary cells from different origins

• Published in: Journal of magnetism and magnetic materials Vol. 320; no. 8; pp. 1517 - 1527
• Main Authors: Kamau Chapman, Sarah W., Hassa, Paul O., Koch-Schneidemann, Sabine, von Rechenberg, Brigitte, Hofmann-Amtenbrink, Margarethe, Steitz, Benedikt, Petri-Fink, Alke, Hofmann, Heinrich, Hottiger, Michael O.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.04.2008; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cell physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene delivery; General aspects, methods; Magnet; Magnetic nanoparticle; Plant physiology and development; Polyethylenimine; Primary cell; Magnetic nanoparticle; Gene delivery; Primary cell; Polyethylenimine; Magnet; Nanoparticle; Magnetic field effect; Magnetic particles; Gene; Pulsed field; Primary culture; Permanent magnet; Cell
• ISSN: 0304-8853
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jmmm.2008.01.002

Primary cell lines are more difficult to transfect when compared to immortalized/transformed cell lines, and hence new techniques are required to enhance the transfection efficiency in these cells. We isolated and established primary cultures of synoviocytes, chondrocytes, osteoblasts, melanocytes, macrophages, lung fibroblasts, and embryonic fibroblasts. These cells differed in several properties, and hence were a good representative sample of cells that would be targeted for expression and delivery of therapeutic genes in vivo. The efficiency of gene delivery in all these cells was enhanced using polyethylenimine-coated polyMAG magnetic nanoparticles, and the rates (17–84.2%) surpassed those previously achieved using other methods, especially in cells that are difficult to transfect. The application of permanent and pulsating magnetic fields significantly enhanced the transfection efficiencies in synoviocytes, chondrocytes, osteoblasts, melanocytes and lung fibroblasts, within 5 min of exposure to these magnetic fields. This is an added advantage for future in vivo applications, where rapid gene delivery is required before systemic clearance or filtration of the gene vectors occurs.