Efficient gene transfection using chitosan–alginate core-shell nanoparticles

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Authors: Jin-oh You, Yu-chuan Liu, Ching-An Peng

Published Date May 2006 Volume 2006:1(2) Pages 173 - 180

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/IJN.S

Jin-oh You¹, Yu-chuan Liu¹, Ching-An Peng

The Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; ¹These authors contributed equally to this work

Abstract: Reverse microemulsion was used as a template to fabricate chitosan–alginate core-shell nanoparticles encapsulated with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-encoded plasmids. The average size of DNA-entrapped nanoparticles measured by dynamic light scattering was increased proportionally, with the N/P ratios ranging from 5 to 20. These alginate-coated chitosan nanoparticles endocytosed by NIH 3T3 cells trigged swelling of transport vesicles which render gene escape before entering digestive endolysosomal compartment and concomitantly promote gene transfection rate. Results showed that DNA-encapsulated chitosan–alginate nanoparticles with average size of 64 nm (N/P ratio of 5) could achieve the level of gene expression comparable with the one obtained by using polyethyleneimine–DNA complexes.

Keywords: gene transfection, chitosan–alginate, core-shell, nanoparticles, reverse microemulsion, endocytosis