Carbosilane dendrimers are a non-viral delivery system for antisense oligonucleotides: characterization of dendriplexes.

The success of gene therapy depends on the development of suitable carriers, and because of their architecture dendrimers are promising tools for gene delivery. This research concerns the use of second generation carbosilane dendrimers as carriers for anti-HIV oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs). The aim was to characterize complexes formed by positively charged dendrimers and negatively charged oligonucleotides using a fluorescence method, laser Doppler electrophoresis, dynamic light scattering (DLS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and molecular modeling.

Characterization of complexes formed by polypropylene imine dendrimers and anti-HIV oligonucleotides.

Current anti-HIV therapies are capable of controlling viral infection but do not represent a definitive cure. They rely on the administration of antiretroviral nucleoside analogues, either alone or in combination with vectors. Dendrimers are branched, synthetic polymers with layered architectures, promising non-viral vectors in gene therapy.

The effects of the anthocyanin-rich extract from red cabbage leaves on Allium cepa L. root tip cell ultrastructure.

The effect of exogenously applied 250 μM anthocyanin-rich (ATH-rich) extract from red cabbage leaves on the ultrastructure of Allium cepa root meristematic cells was investigated. The tested extract slightly affected mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum (ER), Golgi apparatus and vacuoles. In the presence of ATH, 62% of mitochondria converted to condensed type.

Use of polyamidoamine dendrimers to engineer BDNF-producing human mesenchymal stem cells.

We report the use of polyamidoamine (PAMAM-NH(2)) dendrimers along with other non-viral vehicles for the in vitro transfection of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and for engineering MSCs to secrete brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Different generations of cationic polyamidoamine dendrimers (generations 3-6) were tested on HEK 293T cells. hMSCs were then transfected with PAMAM-NH(2) G4 dendrimers and Lipofectamine 2000, which elicited the expression of GFP reporter in around 6 and 20% of the cells, respectively.

Effects of anthocyanin-rich extract from red cabbage leaves on meristematic cells of Allium cepa L. roots treated with heavy metals.

The incubation of Allium cepa L. roots in Pb(NO3)2, Cd(NO3)(2)x4H2O or Cr(NO3)(3)x9H2O solution at the concentration of 100 microM lowered the mitotic index (MI) value in meristem by 58%, 39%, 48%, respectively. The proportion of mitotic phases (mainly prophases and telophases) in MI value was also changed.