title: Inorganic nanoparticles for transfection of mammalian cells and removal of viruses from aqueous solutions.
abstract: Owing to their small size, synthetic nanoparticles show unprecedented biophysical and biochemical properties which may foster novel advances in life-science research. Using flame-spray synthesis technology we have produced non-coated aluminum-, calcium-, cerium-, and zirconium-derived inorganic metal oxide nanoparticles which not only exhibit high affinity for nucleic acids, but can sequester such compounds from aqueous solution. This non-covalent DNA-binding capacity was successfully used to transiently transfect a variety of mammalian cells including human, reaching transfection efficiencies which compared favorably with classic calcium phosphate precipitation (CaP) procedures and lipofection. In this straightforward protocol, transfection was enabled by simply mixing nanoparticles with DNA in solution prior to addition to the target cell population. Transiently transfected cells showed higher production levels of the human secreted glycoprotein SEAP compared to isogenic populations transfected with established technologies. Inorganic metal oxide nanoparticles also showed a high binding capacity to human-pathogenic viruses including adenovirus, adeno-associated virus and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and were able to clear these pathogens from aqueous solutions. The DNA transfection and viral clearance capacities of inorganic metal oxide nanoparticles may provide cost-effective biopharmaceutical manufacturing and water treatment in developing countries.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zurich, HCI F115, Wolfgang-Pauli-Strasse 10, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nils
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Link
authors.forename: Tobias J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Brunner
authors.forename: Imke A J
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Dreesen
authors.forename: Wendelin J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Stark
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fussenegger
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000537:Aluminum Oxide / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002122:Calcium Chloride / Q000737:chemistry; D002130:Calcium Phosphates / Q000737:chemistry; D002460:Cell Line; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002563:Cerium / Q000737:chemistry; D000229:Dependovirus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015870:Gene Expression; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D006678:HIV / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D009052:Leukemia Virus, Murine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010087:Oxides / Q000737:chemistry; D014162:Transfection / Q000379:methods*; D014780:Viruses / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015040:Zirconium / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002130:Calcium Phosphates; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D008670:Metals; D010087:Oxides; C054562:yellow fluorescent protein, Bacteria; D002563:Cerium; C030583:ceric oxide; D015040:Zirconium; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; C018392:tricalcium phosphate; D000537:Aluminum Oxide; D002122:Calcium Chloride; C028541:zirconium oxide