The gold-plated virus will deliver both genes and nanoparticles to cells
The combination of nanotechnology and gene therapy can provide a number of advantages in the treatment of various diseases, and for this it is necessary to learn how to deliver both genes and nanoparticles to cells simultaneously.
A group of scientists from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of California (USA) has developed a way to link gold nanoparticles and an adenovirus-based vector.
This vector itself is a good system for delivering genes to mammalian cells and is used by specialists all over the world.
It is important to note that the attachment of nanoparticles to the adenovirus vector did not impair the efficiency of gene delivery.
The researchers took advantage of the ability of nickel nitrile acetate (Ni-NTA) to bind to six consecutive residues of the amino acid histidine (6xHis).
At the same time, gold particles with a size of 1.8 nm carried 15-20 groups of NTA-Ni(II), and the adenovirus capsid contained hexahistidine fragments. The capsid consists of several types of protein subunits (Figure 1), so scientists tried to sew a 6xHis appendage to each of the proteins.
As it turned out, it is best to modify the hexon protein: firstly, the number of subunits of this protein is the largest, and secondly, its change does not affect the efficiency of gene transfer.
Figure 2 shows the assembly scheme of adenovirus vectors associated with gold nanoparticles. The obtained particles (Figure 3) were successfully tested on HeLa cells.
The authors of the work note that they only showed the way for a more sophisticated fight against diseases, combining the achievements of nanotechnology and gene therapy.
The adenoviral gene delivery system can be easily replaced with a lentiviral one, gold nanoparticles with magnetic particles or quantum dots, and the interaction of Ni–NTA and 6xHis, for example, with the biotin-streptavidin system.
The work "An Adenoviral Platform for Selective Self-Assembly and Targeted Delivery of Nanoparticles" (DOI:10.1002/smll.200700403) is published in Small.
Portal "Eternal youth" www.vechnayamolodost.ru04.02.2008