Electroporation and ultrasound enhanced non-viral gene delivery in vitro and in vivo

Abstract

Non-viral vectors are less efficient than the use of viral vectors for delivery of genetic material to cells in vitro and especially in vivo. However, viral vectors involve the use of foreign proteins that can stimulate both the innate and acquired immune response. In contrast, plasmid DNA can be delivered without carrier proteins and is non-immunogenic. Plasmid gene delivery can be enhanced by the use of physical methods that aid the passage of the plasmid through the cell membrane. Electroporation and microbubble-enhanced ultrasound are two of the most effective physical delivery methods and these can be applied to a range of different cell types in vitro and a broad range of tissues in vivo. Both techniques also have the advantage that, unlike viral vectors, they can be used to target specific tissues with systemic delivery. Although electroporation is often the more efficient of the two, microbubble-enhanced ultrasound causes less damage and is less invasive. This review provides an introduction to the methodology and summarises the range of cells and tissues that have been genetically modified using these techniques.

Nerve growth factor delivery by ultrasound-mediated nanobubble destruction as a treatment for acute spinal cord injury in rats

“…However, their utilization is limited by instability and inefficiency. [11][12][13] Therefore, the search for a safe, efficient, and highly specific transfection system for gene therapy of SCI has become a focus of interest for researchers. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanobubbles (NBs) are nonviral vectors that possess unique advantages as gene carriers, such as targeting, slow release, and penetration.…”

In Vivo Gene Transfer in the Female Bovine: Potential Applications for Biomedical Research in Reproductive Sciences

“…Alternatively, non-viral vectors can release the transgene into the nucleus after fusion with the nuclear membrane (Kamiya et al, 2002). There are several physical methods that can increase the efficiency of vector delivery (Table 2) (Russ & Wagner, 2007;Al-Dosari & Gao, 2009;Escoffre et al, 2010;Wells, 2010). These physical techniques can be applied alone or in combination, and are mainly used in in vitro settings (Escoffre et al, 2010).…”

“…Physical methods for gene delivery which these physical methods operate are not totally understood, most of them allow direct entrance of vectors into the cytosol by generating a transient membrane permeabilization, avoiding in this way the endocytic pathway (Escoffre et al, 2010;Wells, 2010). Alternative strategies to improve transgene delivery include the use of the hybrid vectors.…”

Dual Gene Expression in Embryoid Bodies Derived from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Using Episomal Vectors

“…26 On the other hand, plasmid DNA does not induce immune response because they do not produce exogenous protein. 27 Plasmid DNA is not associated with tumorigenicity because they do not integrate host genome. 28 Episomal vectors contain a latent origin of plasmid replication (oriP) and the Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen (EBNA-1) gene that encodes a replication factor.…”