Functionalized magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MNPs) can play crucial roles in medical applications, including cancer magnetic fluid hyperthermia, magnetic resonance imaging, anticancer drug delivery, and magnetofection. Here, the use of modified MNPs coated with protamine peptides containing nuclear localization signal sequences as gene carriers (PRO-MNPs) for magnetofection of HepG2 cells was tested. Fe3O4 nanoparticles were synthesized by chemical co-precipitation, modified by 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, and were covalently attached to protamine. The size, zeta potential, and coating characteristics of MNPs were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, Zetaplus zeta potential measurement, and Fourier transform infrared imaging, respectively. The magnetofection efficiency of PRO-MNPs was observed by a laser scanning confocal microscope using pEGFP-N1 as the reporter gene. The mean size of the magnetic nanoparticles was about 10nm. The expression level of green fluorescence protein in HepG2 cells transfected with PRO-MNPs was significantly higher than that of cells transfected using vigofectin reagent. The results indicate that PRO-MNPs offer a novel non-viral gene transfection vector, particularly for cancer gene therapy when combined with magnetic-induced hyperthermia.
Protamine-Modified Iron Oxide Magnetic Nanoparticles are Efficient Gene Vectors for Magnetofection [J]. Science & Technology Review, 2010, 28(19): 62-67
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