基于脂质体的纳米基因载体的研究进展

基因治疗是指将外源基因导入目标细胞,用以修正因基因缺陷和异常导致的疾病,达到治疗疾病的目的。 外源基因在细胞中高效、持续地表达是基因治疗成功的关键,这与载体的选择息息相关。 随着科技的发展,脂质体纳米复合物作为基因载体受到人们广泛关注,其具有功能多样、易于修饰、生物相容性好、转染效率高等优点。 本文介绍了脂质体的结构特点,并对磁性纳米、金纳米、量子点、壳聚糖、上转换纳米与脂质体的复合物作为基因载体进行综述和展望。     

非病毒性基因载体的合成研究

基因治疗是一种有效的治疗先天性遗传性疾病以及后天获得性疾病的手段。它通过激发细胞的生物活性或者抑制细胞非正常的功能来治疗或者预防疾病的发生,例如细胞的基因紊乱,细胞的无序增殖。目前基因治疗所面临的问题是缺乏有效的基因递送载体。基因载体主要分为病毒性基因载体和非病毒性基因载体。与病毒性基因载体相比,非病毒性基因载体具有毒性小、安全性高、易于制备、能够荷载分子量大的DNA等优点。本文综述了非病毒性基因载体的合成研究进展。     

用于体外基因转染的氨基硅烷Fe3O4复合纳米粒子的合成及表征

利用2-吡咯烷酮和乙酰丙酮铁为原料制备Fe3O4磁性纳米颗粒, 用XRD和TEM对样品进行了表征. 选择偶联剂γ-氨丙基三乙氧基硅烷[NH2C3H6Si(OC2H5)3]对纳米粒子进行表面修饰, 制得APTTS/Fe3O4复合载体材料. 以此复合粒子作为传递载体, 将CD基因转染U251胶质瘤细胞. 采用RT-PCR, Western blot及免疫荧光等方法检测CD基因的表达及功能. 结果表明, 制备的Fe3O4颗粒粒径为8~10 nm, 结晶度较高; 经表面修饰后, 粒子表面负载—OH, —NH, —NH2, —C—O和—C—OH等多种功能基团. DNA结合分析及DNase-I消化结果表明, APTTS/Fe3O4粒子能够有效地结合和保护DNA. 体外细胞转染实验证实, 该复合纳米颗粒能够高效地传递CD基因进入U251胶质瘤细胞内, 并进行稳定表达.     

聚合物纳米粒子的结构和性能对胞吞和细胞功能的影响

随着纳米医学的发展,越来越多的聚合物纳米粒子被用作荧光探针和药物或基因的载体,在生物分析、检测以及药物传输和基因治疗等领域得到应用。细胞的胞吞是细胞将细胞外基质、病毒、微组织或纳米粒子运送到细胞内部的一个重要生理过程。研究细胞对纳米粒子的胞吞,有助于从细胞层次上理解生命现象,掌握细胞内治疗的机理。本文综述了近几年来细胞和聚合物纳米粒子之间相互作用的最新研究结果。首先介绍了用于胞吞研究的常用聚合物纳米粒子体系及其功能化方法,尤其是荧光探针的复合与表面修饰。进而介绍了细胞和聚合物纳米粒子之间相互作用的基本过程,包括聚合物纳米粒子在细胞转运过程中的驱动力、细胞内转运过程、在细胞中的分布及其细胞毒性。对影响聚合物纳米微粒胞吞的因素如纳米粒子浓度、共培养时间、纳米粒子性能（形状、粒径、电荷和PEG修饰）、细胞类型和培养条件等进行了总结。最后重点介绍了用于受体介导细胞胞吞的聚合物纳米粒子体系,指出了目前研究工作中的不足及未来发展方向。     

基于纳米材料的基因载体

基因疗法是治疗基因变异引起的先天性遗传疾病和后天获得性疾病以及癌症的新型有效方法。外源基因在细胞中安全、高效、稳定的表达是基因治疗成功的关键,这与基因治疗所使用的载体系统息息相关。基因载体主要分为病毒载体和非病毒载体两大类:病毒载体的转染效率较高,但副作用较大;非病毒载体作为一种新型的基因传递系统,可以弥补病毒载体的缺陷,尽管其转染效率稍逊于病毒载体,但在基因治疗领域具有不可替代的作用。随着纳米技术的出现和蓬勃发展,基于纳米材料的基因载体研究受到越来越多的关注。纳米基因载体具有如下潜在的优势:它制备相对简单,易于对其进行多功能的修饰;具有良好的生物相容性,一般不会引起强烈的机体免疫反应;粒径普遍很小,容易穿过人体的组织间隙而被细胞吸收,基因转运效率较高;可以较有效保护其所携带外源基因,利于基因更高效地表达。本文主要对基于金属、无机非金属、阳离子聚合物和脂质体纳米材料作为基因载体的研究进展进行综述和展望。     

基因治疗用病毒载体的化学修饰策略

病毒是目前基因治疗中最常用的载体,但依然不能将治疗基因高效和选择性地输送到特定的靶细胞.因此构建转导效率高、选择性强和免疫原性低的病毒载体是当今基因治疗研究关注的焦点.目前国际上主流的策略是利用不同的技术手段,在病毒载体上偶联各种修饰分子,从而克服病毒载体自身缺陷或赋予其新功能,综合提升病毒载体临床适用性.近十几年来,许多化学手段被报道.本文以基因治疗用病毒载体为切入点,对病毒可利用的化学修饰方法进行了综述,并对基因治疗用病毒载体的未来发展趋势进行了展望.     

聚酰胺-胺型树枝状大分子及其衍生物在基因传递中的应用

基因治疗通过基因载体将治病基因导入病患的特异细胞以治疗心血管、神经系统疾病和癌症等。寻找安全高效的非病毒基因载体一直是基因治疗以及生物材料领域中的前沿课题。聚酰胺-胺型(PAMAM)树枝状高分子作为一类三维的、结构高度有序的新型载体,由于具有安全性好、易于修饰、携带外源基因容量大等特点,已经引起了广泛的关注。但是另一方面,合成步骤相对繁琐、后期产物纯化困难以及转染效率相对较低等问题限制了这类载体的进一步发展。本文结合本课题组的研究情况,针对如何提高PAMAM的转染效率以及增强其基因传递的靶向性等相关问题,对近几年在PAMAM树枝状分子修饰改性方面所做的一些有意义的工作进行了综述,并对前景进行了展望。     

共价有机框架的构筑策略及其在肿瘤治疗中应用的研究进展

纳米医学要求制备具有多种响应功能或者靶向的药物（基因）递送载体，为此不断引入新的纳米材料。作为一类新兴的晶体多孔材料，共价有机框架（Covalent organic frameworks, COFs）具有高结晶度、孔径可调和表面结构易修饰等特点。COFs的框架结构完全由构建单元及反应类型决定，可以由框架化学原理进行设计以得到预期结构，结构表面暴露的活性端基使其可通过合成后修饰策略进行功能化，这些特点均扩大了COFs在纳米医学领域的适用性。本综述从不同反应类型的角度对COFs的制备策略进行简要讨论，并详细对COFs作为抗肿瘤剂和递送载体在肿瘤治疗中的应用进行整理分析，最后探讨了COFs在肿瘤治疗领域现有的问题并对其未来发展方向进行了展望。     

含氟高分子基因载体

阳离子高分子被广泛应用为非病毒类基因载体,但这类高分子材料的转染效率与细胞毒性之间通常存在"恶性"关联,即获得高转染效率时往往会伴随严重的细胞毒性.如何制备兼具高效、低毒特点的高分子载体是成功实施基因治疗的关键.含氟高分子是一类具有独特理化性质的高分子,能够在低电荷密度条件下与核酸形成稳定的复合物,从而实现高效、低毒的基因转染.含氟功能基团可帮助阳离子高分子改善复合物稳定性、细胞内吞、内涵体逃逸、胞内核酸释放等多个环节,从而赋予了含氟高分子在基因递送过程中的氟效应.该专论系统地总结了含氟高分子基因载体的研究,介绍了含氟高分子的基因递送性能、作用机理以及在基因治疗、基因编辑中的应用,并对含氟高分子载体的未来发展进行了展望.     

基于环糊精构建的基因载体进展

安全有效的基因载体对于基因治疗有着重要的潜在价值。相对于病毒性基因载体,化学合成的载体具有低免疫原性,易于大规模生产和生产成本较低的特性,因而受到越来越多的关注,但是非病毒基因载体在转染效率和选择性方面有一定的限制性,当前的主要研究工作集中在这两方面。基于环糊精构建的基因载体,可以有效地提供基因载体的立体构象和功能性的选择性。作为FDA批准的生物材料,环糊精具有无毒和生物降解性,其不但可以保护基因,避免在体内降解,同时有助于通过细胞膜,进入细胞内达到基因转染的作用。环糊精具有大量可修饰的羟基基团,因此对环糊精修饰不但可以通过主客体作用构建超分子体系,并且可以作为多官能团核形成星状高分子,被广泛应用于制备低毒、可降解、靶向性和高效率的转基因载体。目前,环糊精修饰的非病毒正离子载体转移siRNA,已经成功进行了色素瘤的临床试验,取得了很好的治疗效果,表明了环糊精非病毒载体的巨大应用前景。本文对基于环糊精基因载体的最新研究进展进行了综述,详细介绍了基于环糊精的超分子自组装构建的聚轮烷型、侧链分子识别型的基因载体,以及基于环糊精多羟基构型而构建的星型聚合物基因载体和树枝状基因载体,并对环糊精基因载体的优越性和未来应用做了相应的介绍。     

Library selection approaches to engineering enhanced retroviral and lentiviral vectors

Retroviral and lentiviral based gene delivery vectors have been used in numerous pre-clinical studies and clinical trials due to their advantages, including stable and prolonged expression of therapeutic transgenes and minimal immune responses against the vector. Despite such advantages, however, retroviral vectors also have several limitations for gene therapy applications. For example, they can suffer from a lack of efficient or targeted gene delivery to key cell types. In addition, retroviral vector stability can be compromised by their envelope proteins. This review briefly describes how such limitations have been overcome by recently developed library selection approaches that borrow a lesson from nature: the ability of evolution to generate biomolecules with novel function. These library selection approaches are based on the construction of retroviral libraries where the sequences encoding natural viral components are partially randomized using a variety of methods in order to generate diverse libraries that can be selected to create improved or novel functions. These high throughput, library-based approaches provide a strong complement to rational engineering of viral components for the rapid development of efficient and safe retroviral and lentiviral vector systems for gene therapy.     

Adenoviral vectors

Gene therapy is a promising tool for treatment of the human diseases that cannot be cured by rational therapies, and its primary success depends on suitable vectors to deliver therapeutic genes. Adenoviruses (Ads) are among the most commonly used vectors for gene therapy, second only to retroviruses. During the last decade, remarkable progress has been made in the development of Ad vectors and in the understanding of the toxicity related to the Ad vector system. Ad vector has certain advantages such as high transduction efficiency for different quiescent and dividing cell types and high levels of short-term expression to provide therapeutic benefits. However, researchers are facing the challenges associated with tissue-specific targeting of vectors and the vector-mediated immunogenicity. This review mainly focuses on the studies that have employed methods to improve Ad vectors and reduce viral toxicity for different applications. These methods include minimization or elimination of viral genes, retargeting of vector to the tissue of interest, and generation of immunocompromised recombinant vectors that lead to safer use of Ad vector systems that improve persistence of transgene expression. Moreover, the therapeutic applications of Ad vectors for liver-targeted gene therapy, suicide gene therapy, delivery of small interfering RNA, and production of recombinant vaccine under regulated conditions used in clinical trials are discussed.     

基于碳水化合物的阳离子聚合物载体在基因释放中的应用

在基因治疗中,基因释放载体是不可缺少的重要组成部分.近几年来聚合物基因释放载体的研究主要旨在开发低毒或无毒的阳离子聚合物用于安全有效的基因释放.作为一类天然化合物,基于碳水化合物的阳离子聚合物载体由于其良好的生物相容性和低毒性被广泛地研究并应用于基因释放.本文阐述了聚合物基因释放的机理,并对近几年来一些典型的含碳水化合物的阳离子聚合物基因释放载体作一综述.     

Inverted Quasi‐Spherical Droplets on Polydopamine–TiO2 Substrates for Enhancing Gene Delivery

Devising efficient gene delivery systems is crucial to enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of gene–cell therapy approaches. Herein, inverted quasi‐spherical (iQS) droplet systems, which enhance gene delivery efficiencies by reducing the path lengths of gene vectors, mediating motions of vectors at early stages, and raising the contact frequencies of vectors with cells, are developed by adopting the principle of 3D hanging‐drop cell culture. Micrometer‐sized polydopamine (pDA) holes are created on superhydrophobic titanium isopropoxide (TiO₂)‐coated substrates by physical scraping; droplets are loaded on the pDA holes, and inversion of the substrate generates iQS droplets with large contact angles. Both human neural stem cells (hNSCs) and adeno‐associated viral vectors are simultaneously incorporated into the iQS droplets to assess gene delivery efficiencies. The steep angles of iQS droplets and enhanced cell/vector contact frequencies facilitate the viral association with hNSCs and enhancing cell–cell interactions, thereby significantly promoting gene delivery efficiencies. Even with reduced viral quantities/exposure times and cell numbers, the iQS droplet systems elicit sufficient gene expression (i.e., interleukin‐10). The ability of the iQS droplet systems to maximize beneficial gene delivery effects with minimal materials (e.g., medium, cells, and vectors) should enable their extensive use as a platform for preparing genetically stimulated cellular therapeutics.     

Nanoparticles as an emerging tool to alter the gene expression: Preparation and conjugation methods

Many human diseases occur due to the over or under-expression of genes which can be corrected either by silencing or over-expression, respectively by transforming with specific nucleic acid (NA). NA transformation for medical purposes to alter the cellular gene expression is challenging because NA cannot cross efficiently the cellular biomembrane. One option, the viral vectors, is risky for patients and, the non-viral vectors have lower transformation efficiency. From the past few years, nanoparticles (NPs) are being studied extensively for their use as a vector to deliver NA. They are of a sub-micron size, have a large surface area, rapid absorption ability and can reach inside of the cells. These properties make them a suitable gene carrier. NPs types - organic, inorganic, organic/inorganic hybrid and polymeric NPs, having different properties that can be used to deliver the NA. They possess various properties like biocompatibility, targeted delivery of gene, controlled release of NA which makes them suitable for different uses. In this review, we are describing and comparing various methods to synthesize various kinds of NPs and how they can be conjugated with NA. A series of modifications in NPs to form the polyplex are also discussed along with the varying outcomes in terms of changes in the gene expression and its cytotoxicity towards different cell lines. This review is helpful for nano-scientists to decide which method to be followed for a specific need via controlling gene expression.     

用于基因传递系统控制释放的可生物降解高分子材料

综述了用于基因传递系统控制释放的各类高分子材料包括天然高分子及其衍生物、合成高分子,并介绍了它们在基因治疗和组织工程领域中的应用.     

Single cyclized molecule versus single branched molecule: a simple and efficient 3D "knot" polymer structure for nonviral gene delivery

The large research effort focused on enhancing nonviral transfection vectors has clearly demonstrated that their macromolecular structure has a significant effect on their transfection efficacy. The 3D branched polymeric structures, such as dendrimers, have proved to be a very effective structure for polymeric transfection vectors; however, so far the dendritic polymers have not delivered on their promise. This is largely because a wide range of dendritic polymer materials with tailored multifunctional properties and biocompatibility required for such applications are not yet accessible by current routes. Herein, we report the design and synthesis of new 3D "Single Cyclized" polymeric gene vectors with well-defined compositions and functionalities via a one-step synthesis from readily available vinyl monomers. We observe that this polymer structure of a single chain linked to itself interacts differently with plasmid DNA compared to conventional vectors and when tested over a range of cell types, has a superior transfection profile in terms of both luciferase transfection capability and preservation of cell viability. This new knotted structure shows high potential for gene delivery applications through a combination of simplicity in synthesis, scalability, and high performance.     

Bi-functional gold-coated magnetite composites with improved biocompatibility

The effect of gold attachment on the physical characteristics, cellular uptake, gene expression efficiency, and biocompatibility of magnetic iron oxide (MNP) vector was investigated in vitro in BHK21 cells. The surface modification of magnetite with gold was shown to alter the morphology and surface charge of the vector. Nonetheless, despite the differences in the surface charge with and without gold attachment, the surface charge of all vectors were positive when conjugated with PEI/DNA complex, and switched from positive to negative when suspended in cell media containing serum, indicating the adsorption of serum components onto the composite. The cellular uptake of all MNP vectors under the influence of a magnetic field increased when the composite loadings increased, and was higher for the MNP vector that was modified with gold. Both bare magnetite and gold-coated magnetite vectors gave similar optimal gene expression efficiency, however, the gold-coated magnetite vector required a 25-fold higher overall loading to achieve a comparable efficiency as the attachment of gold increased the particle size, thus reducing the surface area for PEI/DNA complex conjugation. The MNP vector without gold showed optimal gene expression efficiency at a specific magnetite loading, however further increases beyond the optimum loading decreased the efficiency of gene expression. The drop in efficiency at high magnetite loadings was attributed to the significant reduction in cellular viability, indicating the bare magnetite became toxic at high intracellular levels. The gene expression efficiency of the gold-modified vector, on the other hand, did not diminish with increasing magnetite loadings. Intracellular examination of both bare magnetite and gold-coated magnetite vectors at 48h post-magnetofection using transmission electron microscopy provided evidence of the localization of both vectors in the cell nucleus for gene expression and elucidated the nuclear uptake mechanism of both vectors. The results of this work demonstrate the efficacy of gold-modified vectors to be used in cellular therapy research that can function both as a magnetically-driven gene delivery vehicle and an intracellular imaging agent with negligible impact on cell viability.     

Low-dose radiation response of the p21WAF1/CIP1 gene promoter transduced by adeno-associated virus vector

In cancer gene therapy, restriction of antitumor transgene expression in a radiation field by use of ionizing radiation-inducible promoters is one of the promising approaches for tumor-specific gene delivery. Although tumor suppressor protein p53 is induced by low doses (< 1 Gy) of radiation, there have been only a few reports indicating potential utilization of a p53-target gene promoter, such as that of the p21 gene. This is mainly because the transiently transfected promoter of p53-target genes is not much sensitive to radiation. We examined the response of the p21 gene promoter to low-dose radiation when transduced into a human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 by use of recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors. It was shown that the p21 gene promoter transduced by rAAV vectors was more highly radiation-responsive than that transiently transfected by electroporation. A significant induction of the p21 gene promoter by radiation of low doses down to 0.2 Gy was observed. When cells were transduced with the p21 gene promoter-driven HSVtk gene by rAAV vector, they were significantly sensitized to repetitive treatment with low dose radiation (1 Gy) in the presence of the prodrug ganciclovir. It was therefore considered that the p21 gene promoter in combination with a rAAV vector is potentially usable for the development of a low-dose radiation-inducible vector for cancer gene therapy.