Electrostatic ligand coatings of nanoparticles enable ligand-specific gene delivery to human primary cells.

A general method of coating polymer/DNA nanoparticles was developed. Peptide coated nanoparticles were found to have favorable biophysical characteristics including small particle size, near-neutral zeta potential, and stability in serum. At appropriate formulation conditions including near-neutral charge ratio, the coated nanoparticles enabled effective ligand-specific gene delivery to human primary endothelial cells in serum-containing media.

Biodegradable polymeric vectors for gene delivery to human endothelial cells.

Endothelial cells are an important cell type to both cardiovascular disease and cancer, as they play critical roles in vascular function and angiogenesis. However, effective and safe gene delivery to primary endothelial cells in the presence of serum proteins is known to be particularly challenging. A library of biodegradable poly(beta-amino esters) was synthesized for use as potential vectors.