Megalin-targeted enhanced transfection efficiency in cultured human HK-2 renal tubular proximal cells using aminoglycoside-carboxyalkyl- polyethylenimine -containing nanoplexes

Publication date: 15 May 2017 Source:International Journal of Pharmaceutics, Volume 523, Issue 1 Author(s): Fatemeh Oroojalian, Ali Hossein Rezayan, Wayne Thomas Shier, Khalil Abnous, Mohammad Ramezani Non-viral vectors are of interest as therapeutic gene delivery agents in gene therapy, because they are simple to prepare, easy to modify and have definable safety profiles compared to viral vectors. The potential of gene therapy in the treatment of renal diseases is limited by a lack of effective kidney-targeted gene delivery systems. Aminoglycoside antibiotics gentamicin and neomycin were connected by amide linkages to carboxyl groups on carboxyalkylated-PEI25 (25kDa PEI) or carboxyalkylated-PEI10 (10kDa PEI). Aminoglycoside-carboxyalkylated-PEI conjugates were characterized with respect to size, surface charge density, DNA condensation ability, and buffering capacity. Polyplexes prepared by electrostatic interaction between aminoglycoside-carboxyalkylated-PEIs and enhanced green fluorescent protein-expressing (EGFP) plasmid DNA had appropriate nano-scale size (143–173nm). Their targeting potential was investigated in cultured HK-2 immortalized human cortex/proximal tubule kidney epithelial cells, which expresses megalin, a scavenger receptor that mediates endocytosis of a diverse group of ligands, including aminoglycoside antibiotics. Aminoglycoside-carboxyalkylated-PEIs significantly increased EGFP gene transfection efficiency in HK-2 cells by ∼13-fold for aminog...
Source: International Journal of Pharmaceutics - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: research