Download National IGERT Meeting Poster Abstract

National IGERT Meeting Poster Abstract
Delivery of siRNA to Embryonic Stem Cells using Nanoparticles: An International
and Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Paula Lampton*, Northeastern University Department of Biology; Luis Brito*,
Northeastern University Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Simon Ming-Yuen
Lee, Univeristy of Macau; Mansoor Amiji, Northeastern University Department of
Pharmaceutical Sciences; Pauline Pei Li, Hong Kong Polytechnic University Applied
Biology and Chemical Technology; Carol Warner, Northeastern University Department
of Biology
*
IGERT Nanomedicine Ph.D. fellow
The IGERT Nanomedicine program at Northeastern University focuses on
applying nanoscale technology to medical challenges. As part of an international and
interdisciplinary collaborative internship, we evaluated the ability of nanoparticles to
deliver short interfering RNA (siRNA) to embryonic stem cells. Specific siRNA, when
delivered inside a cell, down-regulates the expression of a specific gene.
Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent, unspecialized cells that have the potential to
differentiate into all cell types of the body. The challenge for researchers is to direct
embryonic stem cells to differentiate into specific cell types that may be used for cell
transplantation therapy. siRNA delivery to stem cells could potentially help direct cell
differentiation into desired cell types and will also help our understanding of the genes
involved in differentiation.
Nanoparticles offer potential advantages over conventional transfection
techniques, such as reduced cytotoxicity and enhanced transfection efficiency. One key
characteristic of nanoparticles is the ability to be modified for multiple functions,
including cell-specific targeting, drug delivery, and imaging.
We evaluated the ability of two different polymeric nanoparticles, gelatin and
PEI/PMMA, to transfect embryonic stem cells with Oct-4 specific siRNA, a transcription
factor involved in maintaining pluripotency. Gelatin nanoparticles have previously been
shown to be noncytotoxic and can be modified for in vivo gene delivery. PEI/PMMA
nanoparticles have a unique core-shell structure and have been shown to significantly
enhance plasmid DNA delivery to cancer cells over conventional techniques. These two
types of nanoparticles have distinct characteristics and potential advantages for gene
delivery and multifunctional applications. Results to add by April 30….