Albumin Incorporation in Polyethylenimine-DNA Polyplexes Influences Transfection Efficiency.

Polyplexes of plasmid with synthetic polycationic vectors, such as linear polyethylenimine (LPEI), have been widely investigated. While much is known about the role of physicochemical characterization of the polycation in transfection, the role of serum components in the transfection using LPEI-polyplexes needs further investigation. In this study, bovine serum albumin was incorporated into the polyplex, either through precomplexation with circular DNA coding for green fluorescent protein prior to polyplex formation with LPEI or after formation of the polyplex.

Enhanced gene silencing through human serum albumin-mediated delivery of polyethylenimine-siRNA polyplexes.

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeted therapeutics (STT) offers a compelling alternative to tradition medications for treatment of genetic diseases by providing a means to silence the expression of specific aberrant proteins, through interference at the expression level. The perceived advantage of siRNA therapy is its ability to target, through synthetic antisense oligonucleotides, any part of the genome. Although STT provides a high level of specificity, it is also hindered by poor intracellular uptake, limited blood stability, high degradability and non-specific immune stimulation.

Biological-like vesicular structures self-assembled from DNA-block copolymers.

The polymer modification of short nucleotide sequences has been achieved for future use as self-assembled biologically active structures with sizes in the nanometre range. Co-assembly of the resulting DNA-based amphiphilic block copolymers with native proteins demonstrates the self-assembly of biological-like vesicular structures.