Folic acid-decorated polyamidoamine dendrimer mediates selective uptake and high expression of genes in head and neck cancer cells.

Folic acid-decorated polyamidoamine dendrimer mediates selective uptake and high expression of genes in head and neck cancer cells.

Nanomedicine (Lond). 2016 Oct 26;

Authors: Xu L, Kittrell S, Yeudall WA, Yang H

Abstract
AIM: Folic acid (FA)-decorated polyamidoamine dendrimer G4 (G4-FA) was synthesized and studied for targeted delivery of genes to head and neck cancer cells expressing high levels of folate receptors (FRs).
METHODS: Cellular uptake, targeting specificity, cytocompatibility and transfection efficiency were evaluated.
RESULTS: G4-FA competes with free FA for the same binding site. G4-FA facilitates the cellular uptake of DNA plasmids in a FR-dependent manner and selectively delivers plasmids to FR-high cells, leading to enhanced gene expression.
CONCLUSION: G4-FA is a suitable vector to deliver genes selectively to head and neck cancer cells. The fundamental understandings of G4-FA as a vector and its encouraging transfection results for head and neck cancer cells provided support for its further testing in vivo.

PMID: 27781559 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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