Compacted DNA nanoparticle gene transfer of GDNF to the rat striatum enhances the survival of grafted fetal dopamine neurons.

Previously it was established that infusion of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) protein into grafts of embryonic dopamine cells has a neurotrophic effect on the grafted cells. In this study we used a nonviral technique to transfer the gene encoding for GDNF to striatal cells. Plasmid DNA encoding for GDNF was compacted into DNA nanoparticles (DNPs) by 10 kDa polyethylene glycol (PEG)-substituted lysine 30-mers (CK(30)PEG10k) and then injected into the denervated striatum of rats with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesions.