文摘
The major bottleneck for gene delivery lies in the lack of safe and efficient gene vectors and delivery systems. In order to develop a much safer and efficient transfection system, a novel strategy of combining traditional Ca2+-dependent transfection with cationic polymer poly(N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (PDMAEMA) modified silicon nanowire arrays (SiNWAs) was proposed in this work. Detailed studies were carried out on the effects of the PDMAEMA polymerization time, the Ca2+ concentration, and the incubation time of Ca2+@DNA complex with PDMAEMA-modified SiNWAs (SN-PDM) on the gene transfection in the cells. The results demonstrated that the transfection efficiency of SN-PDM assisted traditional Ca2+-dependent transfection was significantly enhanced compared to those without any surface assistance, and SN-PDM with polymerization time 24 h exhibited the highest efficiency. Moreover, the optimal transfection efficiency was found at the system of a complex containing Ca2+ (100 mM) and plasmid DNA (pDNA) incubated on SN-PDM for 20 min. Compared with unmodified SiNWAs, SN-PDM has little cytotoxicity and can improve cell attachment. All of these results demonstrated that SN-PDM could significantly enhance Ca2+-dependent transfection; this process depends on the amino groups’ density of PDMAEMA on the surface, the Ca2+ concentration, and the available Ca2+@DNA complex. Our study provides a potential novel and excellent means of gene delivery for therapeutic applications.