Bimodal Gold Nanoparticle Therapeutics for Manipulating Exogenous and Endogenous Protein Levels in Mammalian Cells

Abstract

A new advance in cell transfection protocol using a bimodal nanoparticle agent to selectively manipulate protein expression levels within mammalian cells is demonstrated. The nanoparticle based transfection approach functions by controlled release of gene regulatory elements from a 6 nm AuNP (gold nanoparticle) surface. The endosomal release of the regulatory elements from the nanoparticle surface results in endogenous protein knockdown simultaneously with exogenous protein expression for the first 48 h. The use of fluorescent proteins as the endogenous and exogenous signals for protein expression enables the efficiency of codelivery of siRNA (small interfering RNA) for GFP (green fluorescent protein) knockdown and a dsRed-express linearized plasmid for induction to be optically analyzed in CRL-2794, a human kidney cell line expressing an unstable green fluorescent protein. Delivery of the bimodal nanoparticle in cationic liposomes results in 20% GFP knockdown within 24 h of delivery and continues exhibiting knockdown for up to 48 h for the bimodal agent. Simultaneous dsRed expression is observed to initiate within the same time frame with expression levels reaching 34% after 25 days although cells have divided approximately 20 times, implying daughter cell transfection has occurred. Fluorescence cell sorting results in a stable colony, as demonstrated by Western blot analysis. The simultaneous delivery of siRNA and linearized plasmid DNA on the surface of a single nanocrystal provides a unique method for definitive genetic control within a single cell and leads to a very efficient cell transfection protocol.

Transition metal ion-assisted synthesis of monodisperse, quasi-spherical gold nanocrystals via citrate reduction

“…Gold nanocrystals (Au NCs) are of considerable interest in chemical and biological sensors, 1 catalysis, 2,3 biomedicine, [4][5][6][7][8][9][10] and X-ray computed tomography 11,12 and many other applications due to their peculiar physicochemical properties. Although the physicochemical properties of Au NCs are dependent not only on their size but also on their shape, [13][14][15] a great deal of effort is still put into synthesis of quasi-spherical Au NCs with narrow size distributions because the excellent monodispersity and sphericity are usually ideal for the fundamental study of plasmonic behavior and make their technical performance easily predicted and rationalized in practical applications.…”

Peptide-based nanomaterials for gene therapy

“…AuNPs are one of the promising nanoparticles being nontoxic and easily modified on the surface or a good single nanoparticle carrier. [119][120][121] As gold has been approved by FDA for preclinical trials, gene modification of rat mesenchymal stem cells (rMSC) with AuNPs is expected to generate therapeutic cell lines. Strouse and co-workers 122 designed a solid gold nanoparticle AuNP-complex for delivering genes into mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) (Fig.…”

Chronic Kidney Diseases and Nanoparticle Therapeutics

“…SiNPs causes oxidative stress, inflammation, and DNA damage in several major organs [73]. The delivery of siRNA is made to find out liver and kidney functions [74,75].…”