Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 13.2
Recently reported inorganic and organic-inorganic hybrid nanocarriers for stem-cell fate
Origin
Type
Bioactive agent
Cell type
Year
Reference
Inorganic
SiNP
Chimeric protein
(GFP-FRATtide)
rNSC
2011
[13]
SiNP
siRNA
NSC
2013
[52]
MNP
DNA
NSC
2011
[49]
MNP
DNA
MSC
2011
[50]
CPNP
DNA
rDPSC
2008
[51]
CPNP
DNA
MSC
2011, 1012
[56, 57]
Organic
PEI-MNP
miRNA
hMSC
2013
[59]
PEI-MNP
DNA/Tat peptide
NSC
2010
[58]
PEI-MNP
DNA
hMSC
2013
[48]
PEI-SiNP
DNA
hMSC
2010
[60]
SiNP, silica nanoparticles; MNP, magnetic nanoparticles; CPNP, calcium phosphate nanoparticles; rNPC, rat
neural stem cells; rDPSC, rat dental pulp stem cells; miRNA, microRNA.
form cationic RA−PEI complex nanoparticles for differentiation of ESC-derived neurons.
The RA − PEI complex nanoparticles had a mean size of 70 nm and homogeneous circular
shape morphology. They showed that pH enabled the control of amounts of RA delivered
from the RA−PEI complex nanoparticles and also observed that these nanocarriers induced
ESC-derived neuronal differentiation.
Hosseinkhani
et al
. [16] acetylated PEI with acetic anhydride. This acetylated PEI had a
more efficient enhanced gene delivery compared to unmodified PEI for mesenchymal stem
cells (MSCs). They have mixed acetylated PEI solutions and plasmid DNA to cause homo-
geneous bone formation throughout the sponges. This approach can be of importance for
siRNA delivery, which is recognized to have a short half-life.
Polyamidoamine
Dendrimers such as PAMAM are synthetic spherical macromolecules composed of a central
core moiety from which multiple branches radiate. Due to the cationic property of den-
drimers, they are a particularly interesting system for use in intracellular delivery, both
in vivo
and
in vitro
[18]. These molecules display a well-defined architecture and can be func-
tionalized to improve gene expression and integration for stem-cell fate [19].
The use of cationic dendrimers as nanocarriers for gene delivery and their efficacy on
MSCs with a view to applications in tissue engineering has been studied by Santos
et al
. [18].
They explained the efficacy of dendrimers in gene delivery according to the charge-based
interactions between these molecules and DNA. These researchers genetically engineered
MSCs to express human bone morphogenic protein 2 (hBMP-2) using PAMAM, different
generations of dendrimers and plasmid DNA that encoded β-galactosidase for
in vitro
trans-
fection of MSCs. The differentiation of the MSCs was studied in the absence of other osteo-
inductive factors. This was achieved through the analysis of established markers of the
osteoblastic phenotype, which included alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, osteocalcin,
and deposition of a calcified matrix. The PAMAM/hBMP-2 system strongly induced
in
vitro
differentiation of MSCs to the osteoblast phenotype.
Additionally, dendrimers can be functionalized with other molecules to enhance gene
integration and expression, such as peptides that present a high binding affinity for MSCs
