Enhancement of the efficiency of PEI/liposome transfection by magnetofectins formed via electrostatic self-assembly

Abstract

One of the major challenges for successful gene therapy is improving the transfection efficiency of non-viral vectors. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have been developed as enhancers of non-viral vehicles. We prepared MNPs and modified them with polyethyleneimine (PEI), citric acid (CA) or carboxylmethyl-dextran (CMD). Both positively charged MNPs (MNPs@PEI) and negatively charged MNPs (MNPs@CA, MNPs@CMD) could spontaneously form transfection complexes (magnetofectins) with plasmid DNA and PEI/liposome via electrostatic self-assembly. Our results showed as-prepared magnetofectins apparently enhanced PEI/liposome transfection efficiency and/or gene expression level into COS-7 cells with reduced transfection time from 4 h to 15 min under a magnetic field in vitro. Meanwhile, the effect of magnetofection was cell line-dependant. These results suggest that charged MNPs could improve transfection efficiency for non-viral vectors by simply mixing with them and by exerting a magnetic force. Thus such MNPs provide a convenient platform for further applications of gene delivery. © 2012 The Author(s).