Novel gelatin–siloxane nanoparticles decorated by Tat peptide as vectors for gene therapy

In principle, the technique of gene delivery involves taking complete or parts of genes that can code specific messages and delivering them to selected cells in the body. Such a transfer of plasmid DNA into mammalian cells has posed major challenges for gene therapy. A series of gelatin–siloxane nanoparticles (GS NPs) with controlled size and surface charge were synthesized through a two-step sol–gel process. In order to increase the efficiency of cellular uptake, HIV-derived Tat peptide was further grafted to GS NPs. In vitro co-location and endocytosis inhibition experiments suggested that the as-synthesized TG NPs may enter HeLa cells via a combined pathway of lipid-raft- and receptor-dependent endocytosis, and only cause little cell damage. Moreover, this study shows the encapsulation of a plasmid DNA in TG NPs to be obtained as a non-viral gene vector. This kind of encapsulation provides complete protection to the plasmid DNA from the external DNase and serum environment, and generates the hope that the resulting formulation can be developed into a potential vector for effective gene delivery. In order to check this potential, the reporter gene pSVβ-gal was encapsulated, and in vitro transfection efficiency of this system was found to be nearly 130% compared to the commercially available transfection reagent Lipofectamine™.