Virus‐Inspired Nanogenes Free from Man‐Made Materials for Host‐Specific Transfection and Bio‐Aided MR Imaging |
| |
Authors: | Jing‐Yi Zhu Ming‐Kang Zhang Xian‐Guang Ding Wen‐Xiu Qiu Wu‐Yang Yu Jun Feng Xian‐Zheng Zhang |
| |
Affiliation: | 1. Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan, P. R. China;2. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore |
| |
Abstract: | Many viruses have a lipid envelope derived from the host cell membrane that contributes much to the host specificity and the cellular invasion. This study puts forward a virus‐inspired technology that allows targeted genetic delivery free from man‐made materials. Genetic therapeutics, metal ions, and biologically derived cell membranes are nanointegrated. Vulnerable genetic therapeutics contained in the formed “nanogene” can be well protected from unwanted attacks by blood components and enzymes. The surface envelope composed of cancer cell membrane fragments enables host‐specific targeting of the nanogene to the source cancer cells and homologous tumors while effectively inhibiting recognition by macrophages. High transfection efficiency highlights the potential of this technology for practical applications. Another unique merit of this technology arises from the facile combination of special biofunction of metal ions with genetic therapy. Typically, Gd(III)‐involved nanogene generates a much higher T1 relaxation rate than the clinically used Gd magnetic resonance imaging agent and harvests the enhanced MRI contrast at tumors. This virus‐inspired technology points out a distinctive new avenue for the disease‐specific transport of genetic therapeutics and other biomacromolecules. |
| |
Keywords: | cell membrane envelope gene transfection host‐specific targeting MR imaging virus‐mimetic biocarriage |
|
|