Saponin and fluorine-modified polycation as a versatile gene delivery system.

Despite the development of many novel carriers for the delivery of various types of genetic material, the lack of a delivery system with high efficiency and low cytotoxicity is a major bottleneck. Herein, low molecular weight polyethylenimine (PEI1.8k) was functionalized with saponin residues using phenylboronic acid (PBA) as an ATP-responsive cross-linker, and a fluorinated side chain to construct PEI-PBA-SAP-F polycation as a highly efficient delivery vector. This vehicle could transfect small plasmid DNA (∼3 kb) with outstanding efficiency into various cells, including HEK 293T, NIH3T3, A549, PC12, MCF7 and HT-29, as well as robust transfection of a large plasmid (∼9 kb) into HEK 293T cells. The carrier indicated good transfection efficacy even at high concentration of serum and low doses of plasmid. The use of green fluorescent protein (GFP) knock-out analysis demonstrated transfection of different types of CRISPR/Cas9 complexes (Cas9/sgRNA ribonucleoproteins RNP, plasmid encoding Cas9 plus sgRNA targeting GFP, Cas9 expression plasmid plusin vitro-prepared sgRNA). In summary, we report an effective PEI-PBA-SAP-F gene carrier with the appropriate lipophilic/cationic balance for biomedical applications.

Synthesis and characterization of vitamin D3-functionalized carbon dots for CRISPR/Cas9 delivery.

Aim: To develop a novel nanovector for the delivery of genetic fragments and CRISPR/Cas9 systems in particular. Materials & methods: Vitamin D3-functionalized carbon dots (D/CDs) fabricated using one-step microwave-aided methods were characterized by different microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. The 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay and flow cytometry were employed to determine the cell viability and transfection efficiency. Results: D/CDs transfected CRISPR plasmid in various cell lines with high efficiency while maintaining their remarkable efficacy at high serum concentration and low plasmid doses. They also showed great potential for the green fluorescent protein disruption by delivering two different types of CRISPR/Cas9 systems. Conclusion: Given their high efficiency and safety, D/CDs provide a versatile gene-delivery vector for clinical applications.