Year: 2013
Type: article
Abstract: CONTEXT: Surface modification of nanocarriers with specific ligands defines a new biological identity, which assist in targeting and internalization of the nanocarriers to specific cell populations, such as cancers and disease organs. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop systemically administrable dual ligands modified nanocarriers, which could target the cells through receptor-mediated pathways to increase the nuclear uptake of genetic materials. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the present work, transferrin (Tf) and folate (Fa) were linked onto polyethylene glycol-phosphatidylethanolamine (PEG-PE) separately to get transferrin-PEG-PE (T-PEG-PE) and folate-PEG-PE (F-PEG-PE) ligands for the surface modification of carriers. The in vivo transfection efficiency of the novel dual ligands modified (D-modified) vectors were evaluated in tumor-bearing animal models. RESULTS: D-Modified solid lipid nanoparticles/enhanced green fluorescence protein plasmid (D-SLN/pEGFP) has a particle size of 226 nm and a gene-loading quantity of 90%. D-SLN/pEGFP displayed over 30% higher transfection efficiency than unmodified SLN/pEGFP and single ligand modified particles in HepG2 cells. CONCLUSION: It could be concluded that Tf and Fa could function as excellent active targeting ligands to improve the cell-targeting ability of the carriers and the resulting dual ligands modified vectors could be applied as a promising active targeting gene delivery system.
Source: Pharmaceutical Biology
Authors: Fanbo Jing, Dongmei Li, Wen Xu, Yujun Liu, Kai Wang, Zhongguo Sui
Institutions: Qingdao University, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2013650018