Magnetofection: A Magical Technique for Effective Gene Transfer Using Magnetic Nanoparticles

Year 2024, Volume: 3 Issue: 1, 25 - 29, 23.07.2024

Şeymanur Sancaktutan , Bahtinur İspahi , Şeyda Yıldız Arslan , Kübra Solak , Yağmur Ünver

Abstract

Gene therapy is a type of therapy that works by turning off disease-causing or malfunctioning genes and delivering a specific gene to the body to treat the disease. Delivering a therapeutic gene to targeted cells remains a limitation of gene transfer. Gene transfer is therefore an important part of gene therapy. Gene delivery systems are generally divided into viral-based and non-viral-based systems. Among many nanostructures, nanoparticles are widely used as vectors for non-viral gene transfer. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have been widely used in the biomedical field in recent years due to their unique magnetic properties. In principle, their charge and size make MNPs suitable for reaching the target site. Furthermore, the high surface area/volume ratio makes MNPs ideal for gene transfer. One of the main methods of using MNPs for gene transfer is magnetofection. In this method, DNA and MNPs are combined in a buffer containing salt to form a complex called magnetofectin. This complex is allowed to penetrate into cells under the influence of a magnetic field. DNA, which is negatively charged, needs to be modified in order to pass through the negatively charged cell membrane, to form complexes with MNPs, and to increase its stability and biocompatibility. For this purpose, commonly used polymers such as PEI (e.g., amphiphilic poly(L-lysine), polyamidoamines (PAAs), and PEG) are used as gene carriers. In addition, MNPs and polymers such as PEI aid the endosomal escape of DNA. This mini-review summarizes the specific gene transfection (magnetofection) of magnetic particles during all dynamic processes of gene transfer (nanoparticle synthesis, gene binding, cellular uptake, endosomal escape, and in vivo targeting).

Keywords

magnetic nanoparticles, magnetofection, gene therapy, biomedical applications, combination therapy

References

• 1. Bi Q, Song X, Hu A, Luo T, Jin R, Ai H, et al. Magnetofection: Magic magnetic nanoparticles for efficient gene delivery. Chinese Chemical Letters. 2020 Dec;31(12):3041–6.
• 2. Mulligan RC. The basic science of gene therapy. Science (1979). 1993;260(5110).
• 3. Verma IM, Somia N. Gene therapy - Promises, problems and prospects. Vol. 389, Nature. 1997.
• 4. Azadpour B, Aharipour N, Paryab A, Omid H, Abdollahi S, Madaah Hosseini H, et al. Magnetically assisted viral transduction (magnetofection) medical applications: An update. Vol. 154, Biomaterials Advances. 2023.
• 5. Zuvin M, Kuruoglu E, Kaya VO, Unal O, Kutlu O, Yagci Acar H, et al. Magnetofection of green fluorescent protein encoding DNA-bearing polyethyleneimine-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles to human breast cancer cells. ACS Omega. 2019;4(7):12366–74.
• 6. Yun J, Sonabend AM, Ulasov I V., Kim DH, Rozhkova EA, Novosad V, et al. A novel adenoviral vector labeled with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for real-time tracking of viral delivery. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience. 2012;19(6):875–80.
• 7. Huang RY, Chiang PH, Hsiao WC, Chuang CC, Chang CW. Redox-Sensitive Polymer/SPIO Nanocomplexes for Efficient Magnetofection and MR Imaging of Human Cancer Cells. Langmuir. 2015;31(23):6523–31.
• 8. Ota S, Takahashi Y, Tomitaka A, Yamada T, Kami D, Watanabe M, et al. Transfection efficiency influenced by aggregation of DNA/polyethylenimine max/magnetic nanoparticle complexes. Journal of Nanoparticle Research. 2013;15(5).
• 9. Yildiz S, Solak K, Acar M, Mavi A, Unver Y. Magnetic nanoparticle mediated-gene delivery for simpler and more effective transformation ofPichia pastoris. Nanoscale Adv. 2021;3(15).
• 10. Sayed N, Allawadhi P, Khurana A, Singh V, Navik U, Pasumarthi SK, et al. Gene therapy: Comprehensive overview and therapeutic applications. Vol. 294, Life Sciences. 2022.
• 11. Kalakenger S, Yildiz Arslan S, Turhan F, Acar M, Solak K, Mavi A, et al. Heterologous Expression of Codon-Optimized Azurin Transferred by Magnetofection Method in MCF-10A Cells. Mol Biotechnol. 2023.
• 12. Bi Q, Song X, Hu A, Luo T, Jin R, Ai H, et al. Magnetofection: Magic magnetic nanoparticles for efficient gene delivery. Chinese Chemical Letters. 2020;31(12).
• 13. Huth S, Lausier J, Gersting SW, Rudolph C, Plank C, Welsch U, et al. Insights into the mechanism of magnetofection using PEI-based magnetofectins for gene transfer. Journal of Gene Medicine. 2004;6(8):923–36.
• 14. Izzedine H, Ederhy S, Goldwasser F, Soria JC, Milano G, Cohen A, et al. Management of hypertension in angiogenesis inhibitor-treated patients. Annals of Oncology. 2009;20(5):807–15.
• 15. Mintzer MA, Simanek EE. Nonviral vectors for gene delivery. Vol. 109, Chemical Reviews. 2009.
• 16. Prijic S, Prosen L, Cemazar M, Scancar J, Romih R, Lavrencak J, et al. Surface modified magnetic nanoparticles for immuno-gene therapy of murine mammary adenocarcinoma. Biomaterials. 2012;33(17).
• 17. Lo YL, Chou HL, Liao ZX, Huang SJ, Ke JH, Liu YS, et al. Chondroitin sulfate-polyethylenimine copolymer-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles as an efficient magneto-gene carrier for microRNA-encoding plasmid DNA delivery. Nanoscale. 2015;7(18).
• 18. Stein R, Pfister F, Friedrich B, Blersch PR, Unterweger H, Arkhypov A, et al. Plasmid-DNA Delivery by Covalently Functionalized PEI-SPIONs as a Potential ‘Magnetofection’ Agent. Molecules. 2022;27(21).
• 19. Cui Y, Li X, Zeljic K, Shan S, Qiu Z, Wang Z. Effect of PEGylated Magnetic PLGA-PEI Nanoparticles on Primary Hippocampal Neurons: Reduced Nanoneurotoxicity and Enhanced Transfection Efficiency with Magnetofection. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2019;11(41).