New gene therapy study findings recently were reported by Q.K.T. Ng and co-researchers
2009 JUL 9 - (NewsRx.com) -- "The development of techniques to efficiently deliver genes using nonviral approaches can broaden the application of gene delivery in medical applications without the safety concerns associated with viral vectors. Here, we designed a clustered integrin-binding platform to enhance the efficiency and targetability of nonviral gene transfer to HeLa cells with low and high densities of a(v)beta(3) integrin receptors," scientists in the United States report. "Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) nanoclusters were formed using gold nanoparticles functionalized with RGD peptides and used to modify the surface of DNA/poly(ethylene imine) (PEI) polyplexes. DNA/PEI polyplexes with attached RGD nanoclusters resulted in either 5.4- or 35-fold increase in gene transfer efficiency over unmodified polyplexes for HeLa cells with low- or high-integrin surface density, respectively. The transfection efficiency obtained with the commercially available vector jetPEI-RGD was used for comparison as a vector without clustered binding. JetPEI-RGD exhibited a 1.2-fold enhancement compared to unmodified jetPEI in cells with high densities of alpha(v)beta(3) integrin receptors," wrote Q.K.T. Ng and colleagues. The researchers concluded: "The data presented here emphasize the importance of the RGD conformational arrangement on the surface of the polyplex to achieve efficient targeting and gene transfer, and provide an approach to introduce clustering to a wide variety of nanoparticles for gene delivery.." Ng and colleagues published their study in Molecular Therapy (Engineering Clustered Ligand Binding Into Nonviral Vectors: alpha(V)beta(3) Targeting as an Example. Molecular Therapy, 2009;17(5):828-836). For more information, contact T. Segura, 420 Westwood Plaza, 5531 Boelter Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA. Publisher contact information for the journal Molecular Therapy is: Nature Publishing Group, 75 Varick St., 9TH Flr, New York, NY 10013-1917, USA. Keywords: United States, Los Angeles, Biotechnology, DNA, Gene Therapy, Genetics, Genomics, Molecular Research, Molecular Therapies, Peptide, Proteins, Proteomics, Treatment. This article was prepared by Gene Therapy Weekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Gene Therapy Weekly via NewsRx.com.
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