349629 Optimization and Effects of Sequential Mixing on Plasmid DNA-Polyethylenimine-Polyaspartic Acid Ternary Complexes As Synthetic Gene Delivery Vectors

Monday, November 4, 2013
Grand Ballroom B (Hilton)
Logan Warriner, University of Kentucky, Paducah, KY

Gene therapy is the process of inserting genetic material that codes for a therapeutic protein into disease affected cells with the intention of treating the disease.  Originally, modified viruses were used to deliver genetic material, but this proved to be unsafe due to severe immune responses from treated individuals and unspecific cell targeting of the viruses. Recently, complexes consisting of plasmid DNA, coated by a cationic material such as a polymer or lipid prepared by simple bulk mixing, have been studied and used as non-viral gene delivery vectors. Addition of a third material to binary complexes, creating a ternary complex, has been shown to increase efficiency and functionality of the vectors. In this study we compared physicochemical characteristics of and transfection with ternary complexes of pDNA, polyethylenimine,  and polyaspartic acid  formed by several different methods.

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