title: Combination of poly(ethylenimine) and chitosan induces high gene transfection efficiency and low cytotoxicity.
abstract: In this study, the cytotoxicity and transfection efficiency of using chitosan/DNA complex combined with poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) were investigated. The combination of PEI with the chitosan/DNA complex markedly enhanced the gene expression of HeLa cells to 1000-fold of that induced by chitosan alone. PEI's cytotoxicity was considerably decreased upon combination with the chitosan/DNA complex. Furthermore, the PEI/chitosan/DNA could maintain the gene expression efficiency in the presence of serum.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Qing-Qing
authors.initials: QQ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jin-Liang
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Wen-Quan
authors.initials: WQ
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Yasuhiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tabata
authors.forename: Jian-Qing
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry*; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D011094:Polyethyleneimine / Q000737:chemistry*; D014162:Transfection / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D011094:Polyethyleneimine; D004247:DNA; D048271:Chitosan