Two nanoparticles were synthesized with different combination of PLL and PEI polycations.
Modified polymers showed better transfection efficiency and less cytotoxicity in compare to unmodified PEI.
Targeted polycationic vectors were produced by conjugation of nucleoline aptamer to modified polymers.
Aptamer-conjugated nanoparticles efficiently delivered shRNA-plasmid (against an anti-apoptotic gene) to lung cancer cell line (a549).
Following down-regulation of the anti-apoptotic gene (bcl-xl), apoptosis induced in targeted cells (and not in control cell).