Electrostatically assembled dendrimer complex with a high-affinity protein binder for targeted gene delivery

Publication date: 10 June 2018 Source:International Journal of Pharmaceutics, Volume 544, Issue 1 Author(s): Jong-won Kim, Joong-jae Lee, Joon Sig Choi, Hak-Sung Kim Although a variety of non-viral gene delivery systems have been developed, they still suffer from low efficiency and specificity. Herein, we present the assembly of a dendrimer complex comprising a DNA cargo and a targeting moiety as a new format for targeted gene delivery. A PAMAM dendrimer modified with histidine and arginine (HR-dendrimer) was used to enhance the endosomal escape and transfection efficiency. An EGFR-specific repebody, composed of leucine-rich repeat (LRR) modules, was employed as a targeting moiety. A polyanionic peptide was genetically fused to the repebody, followed by incubation with an HR-dendrimer and a DNA cargo to assemble the dendrimer complex through an electrostatic interaction. The resulting dendrimer complex was shown to deliver a DNA cargo with high efficiency in a receptor-specific manner. An analysis using a confocal microscope confirmed the internalization of the dendrimer complex and subsequent dissociation of a DNA cargo from the complex. The present approach can be broadly used in a targeted gene delivery in many areas. Graphical abstract
Source: International Journal of Pharmaceutics - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: research