Synthetic vectors were evaluated for their ability to mediate efficient mRNA transfection. Initial results indicated that lipoplexes, but not polyplexes based on polyethylenimine (PEI, 25 and 22 kDa), poly(L-lysine) (PLL, 54 kDa) or dendrimers, mediated efficient translation of mRNA in B16-F10 cells. Significant mRNA transfection was achieved by lipoplex delivery in quiescent (passage 0) human ...

Lymphangiogenesis is implicated in lymphatic metastasis of tumor cells. Recently, growing evidences show that endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are involved in lymphangiogenesis. This study has investigated effects of VEGF-C/VEGFR-3 (vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3) signaling pathway on EPC differentiation and effectiveness of inhibiting lymphatic formation of EPCs with VEGFR-3 ...

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of zinc-dependent enzymes capable of degrading extracellular matrix components. Previous studies have shown that the upregulation of MMP-2 is closely related to metastatic cancers. While Western blotting, zymography, and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISA) can be used to measure the amount of MMP-2 activity, it is not possible to visualize th...

Poor distribution of antigen/adjuvant to target sites and inadequate induction of T cell responses remain major challenges in cancer immunotherapy because of the lack of appropriate delivery systems. Nanocarrier-based antigen delivery systems have emerged as an innovative strategy to improve vaccine efficacy. Here we present polymeric hybrid micelles (PHMs) as a simple and potent antigen/adjuva...

Regulation of gene expression using small interfering RNA (siRNA) is a promising strategy for research and treatment of numerous diseases. However, siRNA cannot easily cross the cell membrane due to its inherent instability, large molecular weight and anionic nature. For this reason, a carrier that protects, delivers and unloads siRNA is required for successful gene silencing. The goal of this ...

In this study, proton-sponge coated quantum dots were prepared by using amphipol PMAL, grafted with polyethylenimine (PEI) as an encapsulation polymer. The QD-PMAL-PEI nanoparticles showed low cytotoxicity and superior gene silencing efficiency in serum-containing medium against junctional adhesion molecule-2 (JAM-2), which is over-expressed in glioma cells. Confocal microscopic analysis showed...

RNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful method for specific gene silencing which may also lead to promising novel therapeutic strategies. It is mediated through small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) which sequence-specifically trigger the cleavage and subsequent degradation of their target mRNA. One critical factor is the ability to deliver intact siRNAs into target cells/organs in vivo. This review hi...

The amphiphilic star-like copolymer polyethylenimine-block-poly(ε-caprolactone) (PEI-b-PCL) was utilized to transfer the pre-synthesized citrate-capped noble metal nanoparticles (NMNPs) from an aqueous layer to an organic layer without any additional reagents. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were utilized to study the assembly of the polymers coated on ...

25 kDa branched polyethylenimine (PEI) has successfully been used for in vitro and in vivo gene delivery approaches, but it is cytotoxic. Smaller PEIs are usually noncytotoxic but less efficient. In order to enhance the gene delivery efficiency and minimize cytotoxicity of PEI, we explored to synthesize cross-linked PEIs with degradable bonds by reacting amines of small branched 2000 Da PEI wit...

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) as a new therapeutic modality holds promise for cancer treatment, but it is unable to cross cell membrane. To overcome this limitation, nanotechnology has been proposed for mediation of siRNA transfection. Selenium (Se) is a vital dietary trace element for mammalian life and plays an essential role in the growth and functioning of humans. As a novel Se species, Se ...